


Expensive Mistakes

by letsgetlostinmymindtogether



Category: Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Abuse, Alpha Andy Hurley, Alpha Frank Iero, Alpha Josh Dun, Alpha Mikey Way, Alpha Pete Wentz, Alpha Tyler Joseph, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, Bottom Patrick Stump, Butt Plugs, Cuddling, Flashbacks, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Brendon Urie, Omega Gerard Way, Omega Joe Trohman, Omega Patrick Stump, Oral Sex, Peterick, Protective Andy Hurley, Protective Pete Wentz, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con Elements, Recovery, Reunions, Smut, Top Pete Wentz, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2019-10-24 19:56:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 87
Words: 190,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17710583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letsgetlostinmymindtogether/pseuds/letsgetlostinmymindtogether
Summary: When Patrick presents as an omega his father sells him to an abusive mob leader, after like 6 years he gets rescued. One of the alpha rescuers feels extremely protective of the omega so he stays close by. His name is Pete. Pete is in a band with Andy and Joe. Also Andy and Joe are in their own love story just as much as Pete and Patrick. They are best friends with some cool people whose names most of you probably recognize. (They're not famous yet, but they are in their respective bands.)To anyone wondering about the time Patrick spends kidnapped, this story does not go into a lot of detail because the focus is geared towards post-rescue. But there are a few flashbacks.Warnings will be included when a chapter is more intense or descriptive.Chapters get progressively longer as the story goes on.A lot of other fun stuff happens but I don't know how to put it in the summary without spoiling them. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯EVENTUAL HAPPY ENDING I PROMISE. (This story will continue until it's finished, I won't abandon it.)Sorry i suck at summaries.THANK YOU FOR READING! :)





	1. Age Thirteen is a Bitch

**Author's Note:**

> Some chapters will be longer than others just because i write when i'm anxious and I stop when I start to feel better soo...yeah. Hope you enjoy!

1995

It started just before he turned thirteen.

On a person’s thirteenth birthday they present as either an alpha, beta, or omega. His father was head of the home and had very old school views about how a “proper house” is structured. 

According to him, the alpha is the head, typically mated with an alpha or at minimum a strong beta. 

Omegas are servants. 

Nothing more. 

This is why Patrick was so afraid of his thirteenth birthday.

He was expected to be an alpha like his two older brothers. He knew this not to be true, how could it be?

Patrick knew he wouldn’t be an alpha. 

He wasn’t confident or sure of himself, or strongly built like his father or brothers. 

He was thin, with soft strawberry blonde hair, bright blue eyes and when he did smile, he could light up the air around him. 

He had a gentle voice, derived from growing up in a strict and alpha-centric house. 

His mother was kind, and oh so much like Patrick, so he figured he would most likely present as a beta too.

 

“Excited about presenting Patrick?” One of Patrick’s brothers asked him.

“I…I guess so.”

 

It was happening, hours before midnight, Patrick was laying in his bed wide awake waiting to see what would happen when the clock strikes twelve.

If he were an alpha, he would begin his rut.

If he were a beta, he would remain mostly the same, with the added perk of a slightly calmer and more confident aura.

And if he were an omega…he would start his heat.

 

2 hours later......

No, no no no no no no no, Patrick thought to himself as he felt something wet start leaking out of him. This can’t be happening….

A sharp pain in his lower abdomen made him cry out in pain.

He started having thoughts about alphas, mating, knots, he knew it was his body reacting to heat and heat is what omegas get.

'I'm an omega.' The thought at the forefront of his mind which was swirling in every direction of his head.

A mere 2 minutes had gone by when he heard a pounding at his bedroom door.

Patrick stumbled to the door and unlocked it. As soon as the lock turned his father and mother were coming into the room.

His mother looked calm, as if she hadn’t expected anything else. But his father….his father looked like he was ready to kill.

His face was red and angry, his fists were clenched at his sides. 

He just stared down at Patrick. Patrick who was now crying and wrapped in his mothers arms being cooed and cuddled was not able to look his father, an alpha in the face.

“Ill stay in here with you tonight darling, would you like that?” His mother asked.

Patrick nodded his head, not trusting his voice and snuggled closer to his mother.

His father huffed and left the room without a word.

 

The week of Patrick’s heat went by rather quickly, a lot of pain, and A LOT of awkward conversations with his mother about what he needed to do during future heats to take care of himself.

His father had not been back into the room, hadn’t actually spoken of the youngest of the family since he presented.

His mother, the ever kind and gentle woman she is, was keeping a diligent eye on her boy, bringing him food and water, cuddling him back to sleep and talking to him as though nothing had changed.

 

If only that were true.


	2. Sold

When Patrick’s heat ended, and he was finally able to leave the confines of his room he realized everything had changed. 

When he went downstairs for breakfast on Sunday morning, he noticed that his father wouldn't even look in his direction. 

He didn’t acknowledge his presence and spoke to everyone else as if he didn’t exist. 

His brothers sent him gentle smiles and reassured nods but looked away when their father caught them.

 

On Monday morning Patrick came downstairs to his mother making a grocery list.

“Can I get you anything special from the store dear?” She was the only one in the house still speaking to Patrick. Not that his brother's ignored him, but their father had been doing a good job of keeping them separated.

“No thanks mom.” He didn’t want to bother her after everything she had already done for him.

“Ill be back soon, call my cell if you need anything Love.”

“Love you too.” Patrick watched her car pull out of the garage and drive down the street. 

He went to make himself a bowl of cereal when he realized his father’s car keys were on the table. 

Had he taken the day off? 

Patrick made a mental note to get his cereal and get back to his room before he saw his father, wanting to stay out of his way and out of his sight after seeing how he had reacted to Patrick presenting.

Just as Patrick was turning to walk upstairs it happened. 

His father was standing at the top of the steps staring at him. 

As angry as he was the day he presented. 

Alpha Stump walked down the stairs stopping directly in front of Patrick, who at this point was staring at the floor, refusing to even try and meet the alphas eyes. 

He could smell the anger and disappointment radiating from him but chose to remain as still as possible.

“Do you know what you have done to this family?” A rhetorical question. Patrick thought.

“PRESENTING AS AN OMEGA! YOU HAVE DISGRACED US! POLLUTED OUR BLOODLINE!"

'I am the first omega in the Stump family line…but its not like it was a choice.' 

“You have put a stain on our name! You and your brothers were meant to take over the family businesses someday. Now for the first time in over two centuries there will be a non-blood partner running the third operation. You have ruined not only this family but my business as well. Supporting a filthy omega creature like you will not be something I am willing to go through. Therefore, I have no use for you anymore.”

'That’s it I’m getting kicked out…ill have to live on the street…maybe I could crash with Brendon or Gee.' 

Their parents had always said that they support omegas rights. 

'What will mother think?' 

She wouldn't have a choice with the alphas decision. 

Maybe she could talk him into letting him stay just a little longer. 

Patrick by no means wanted to stay in the same house as Alpha Stump but the thought of leaving his mother and brothers behind sickened him.

 

A few minutes of utter silence had passed until there was a noise at the front door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Alpha Stump smirked.

“Your new owner is here.”


	3. Hell

Owner. 

He was sold as a slave to a stranger by his own father…no no no no no no….

A man in a suit, followed by two overly muscular men in all black came into view. 

Patrick froze. 

Should I run? 

Why did I have to come downstairs? 

Why did I have to present as an omega? 

What will mother do when she realizes im gone?

In the time Patrick’s mind was panicking the two men in black had grabbed his arms and were now dragging him out of the house and throwing him into a big van.

“NO NO NO PLEASE LET ME GO! NO!”

“Shut up!” one of them snapped. 

“If you’re quiet you won’t be in as much pain.” 

Lies.

 

With that Patrick was too scared to move. 

He had tears running down his face and he was shaking but no noise came out of him. 

He looked out the window of the van at his house and saw the man in the suit handing over a big wad of cash to his father.

What will happen now? 

Rape? 

Murder? 

Torture? 

Every possible scenario ran through his mind as he was pushed to the floor of the van and a black cloth bag was pulled over his head.

 

Whack!

A sharp pain spread across the back of Patrick’s head and within seconds he was unconscious.

 

Six years later... 

2001

One…two…three…………….fifty.

Over and over again Patrick felt the sting of the whip across his back. 

He tried to pull away from the sting and pain out of instinct but the way he was chained to the wall made it impossible. 

He was being punished for something. 

What it was for he couldn’t remember. 

It wasn’t anything new to him though. 

Pain, it seemed was a natural part of life. 

He was an omega after all. 

He still remembered what it was like before he was sold, which was years ago now. 

He wasn’t even sure how many had passed.

 

Flashback…

After he was taken in the van and knocked out.

When he had woken up, he was in what he assumed to be a basement because of the concreate floor, and walls with no windows. 

His clothes were off. 

There was nothing in the room except a shower head sticking out of the wall in the corner with a drain beneath it and a toilet next to it, a small thin blanket tossed in the opposite corner, and in the middle of the room a table with what looked like cuffs on each of the corners and a wooden X like structure with cuffs against the wall, and right in the middle of the ceiling, a globe like structure housing a camera.

When Patrick moved to stand up, he was made aware of a weight around his neck by a chain locked to a collar. 

He started silently crying again.

End flashback…

 

Since then he was regularly beaten, raped, starved.

The shower in the corner was actually just a shower in the sense that water came out of the top. 

It was always cold.

Patrick was only ever fed when the man in the suit seemed to remember to throw his dinner scraps down to him. 

He was drastically thinner. 

Almost emaciated. 

You could see almost all of his bones under his skin, you could see where he had been beaten by the scars and bruises marking him.

It turned out that he was right about being raped, tortured and now, even though he hated to think of it as a better option, he would often pray for death.

A way to get out seemed impossible. 

He wasn’t even aware of what day or time it was anymore, not being out of the room since the day he was put into it.

But then he heard it…sirens and shouting coming from upstairs, followed by gunshots.


	4. Hot Whiskey Eyes

Patrick moved as far away from the stairs going up as he could until he was pressed back into the corner, shaking like a leaf in the wind.

The door opened, and footsteps of multiple people started down them. 

Alphas from what Patrick could smell. 

The two in front were carrying guns and wearing police uniforms. 

One of them saw Patrick huddled in the corner and took a step towards him only to immediately step back when he heard Patrick let out a pained whimper.

“All clear. No sign of any more suspects but you might want to send down one of the OSR volunteers to get this one.” Said the officer.

A few moments later a man who looked only a few years older than Patrick himself came into his view. 

He was wearing a light blue t-shirt with 'Omega Safety and Rights' on the front. 

He had dark hair and deep brown eyes.

He walked slowly over to Patrick, who despite being able to read his shirt was hesitant of strangers. 

Especially alphas, part of his mind had convinced him that the man was here to punish him or take him to his previous captor or worse. 

But the man just smiled gently and knelt in front of Patrick.

“It’s alright, you don’t need to be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”

Patrick lifted his head but kept his eyes on the floor. Too afraid to look him in the eye. 

Patrick could tell this man was an alpha, and alphas cause pain.

“Can you tell me your name? How old are you? Or how long you’ve been here?” 

No answers. 

Patrick couldn’t answer, what if this was a trick or some kind of game that his owner had come up with to mess with him?

Patrick got so lost panicking in his own head that he didn’t even notice that the man had not moved. 

At all. 

Patrick chanced a glance up to see who was in the room and made direct eye contact with the alpha. 

Hot whiskey eyes staring calmly back at him. 

Now Patrick was too afraid to look away. 

Not that he really wanted to, the alpha in front of him seemed safe-ish, his scent smelled calm and warm.

A call from upstairs said “Lets go, we need to move out so crime scene can come in and clean up.” 

The alpha turned like he wanted to holler back but stopped when he saw how the omega jumped at the loudness of his boss’s voice.

“What do you say I get you out of here hmm?” The alpha smiled, a small gentle smile that reminded Patrick so much of his mother that a few tears managed to escape at the memory.

Slowly the omega nodded and started to try and stand. 

The alpha stepped forward to steady him and only then seemed to realize the omega was naked. 

He pulled his shirt up over his head and held it out for the omega. 

Patrick looked back and forth between the shirt and the alpha a couple times before taking the shirt with shaking hands. 

The alpha motioned for an officer to come over again.

"Cut this for me?" He was gesturing to the collar that had Patrick chained to the wall.

Once it was off he adjusted the shirt so he was covered as much as possible. 

The shirt looked like a dress on Patrick’s small form but at least he wasn’t naked anymore.

The alpha slowly lead the omega upstairs. 

Each step was painful and hesitant.

The first time in six years that Patrick had been out of the basement and the first thing he sees, on the ground in front of him, was his owner. 

Dead. 

Patrick stopped and stared down for a minute. 

Was this real? 

Could it be real? 

He continued moving along with the alpha, going through the motions but his mind was far too worked up to focus.

The alpha continued and took the omega out towards an ambulance in the driveway. 

Patrick looked up at the sky and saw it was bright and sunny. 

A great contrast to what was going on in the basement.

As they approached the ambulance Patrick noticed two alpha paramedics standing there seemingly waiting for them. 

Patrick knew logistically that they were there to help but they were still alphas. 

Alphas he didn’t trust. 

Alphas whose scents weren’t calming, not that they smelled particularly threatening, just not calm. 

Like they were disinterested and in a rush. 

Not at all sweet like the man who gave him his shirt.

When they reached the ambulance, Patrick stepped behind the alpha who had given him his shirt and whined. 

The alphas around him seemed unphased but as one of the paramedics reached out to grab Patrick’s arm to force him to lay down on the ambulance bed, the alpha who had brought him out of the basement stepped more in front of him and growled, low in his throat. 

“Don’t touch him”. 

It took everything in Patrick to not just submit and offer up his neck. He didn't want to be on the wrong side of whoever these alphas were, especially if he had a chance to get away from this place.

The dark-haired alpha turned to face Patrick and said, "I’ll go with you, but we need to get your injuries looked at.”

Patrick was too afraid to say no. 

So he just nodded and let the alpha lead him into the ambulance. 

He didn’t lay down, mostly because his back hurt so much from the beating he had gotten earlier that day, but also because it made him feel vulnerable. 

More vulnerable than he already was.

The brown-haired alpha sat next to him and gave him that same gentle smile that made Patrick feel a sliver of hope. 

The paramedics only did minimal care on his back, glaring at Pete every few moments. 

Legally they didn't have any obligation to give omegas medical attention at all, but if they didn't do anything they wouldn't get their bonus for working a "dangerous case."

“Are you going to tell me your name? I can’t just call you omega. It feels too formal.”

“P-Pat-Patrick.”

“Well nice to meet you Patrick, my names Pete.”


	5. Please Stay

Pete’s been a volunteer at OSR for years, he and his bandmates Andy and Joe volunteer here in their spare time. 

Their dream is to be successful musicians, playing what they love, volunteering was an important part of their lives because even though they were a small-town band and not widely know yet, they knew a lot of their fans were omegas. They want to make sure those fans know that they are welcome and accepted.

When they arrived at the hospital, Pete stayed with Patrick while the nurses and doctors looked over him and cleaned up his wounds. 

Patrick hadn’t spoken a word since he told Pete his name, but Pete hadn’t stopped asking him questions. 

Mostly just getting a small nod or shake of the head as an answer.

Pete felt a little dejected because he thought he was making progress with the little omega by learning his name but as soon as he got to the hospital Patrick went back to silence.

He understood this though. 

He has seen quite a bit, met a lot of traumatized omegas, but none of the others had made so much of an impression on him as Patrick.

Every instinct in his body was telling him he needed to protect this omega at all costs. 

And another part of him wanted to hunt down and slaughter anyone who had a hand in causing the boy any pain.

When Patrick was checked into a private room, and all of the doctors and nurses started to leave for Patrick to get some rest, Pete stayed. 

Pete wanted to stay. 

But only if Patrick was okay with it.

Patrick hadn’t spoken a single word to any of the medical staff. 

It was Pete who told them Patrick’s name.

Patrick was on his side with his eyes slowly slipping closed due to the pain medicine he was given, and Pete hesitantly took that as his que to leave but when he stood up from the chair beside Patrick’s bed, he heard a small voice…

“please stay”. He sounded so fragile, so broken, so scared.

Pete smiled at that and resumed his place again in the chair. 

“Of course.” Pete wasn’t leaving. 

Never. 

Not if he could help it.

He realized that even though he had only just met this omega, he wanted him. 

Not just a sexual way, I mean he did, absolutely, but not now. 

All he wanted now was to be close to him. 

To be there for him and protect him and care for him.

Pete wanted to reach out and touch him, but he didn’t want to scare him. 

He was a stranger after all.

He remembered a part of his volunteer training.

Something about how omegas who were often abused and controlled feeling lost and how holding onto the wrist of an alpha could make them get a sense of feeling in control back. It was a small action but could make the omega feel safer and calmer.

“Can I show you something?” he said suddenly. 

Patrick stiffened a bit and his eyes widened ever so slightly but he nodded.

Pete moved his wrist to rest palm up on the bed near Patrick’s arm. 

“Grab my wrist.”

Patrick seemed confused, furrowed his brow and looked back and forth between Pete’s wrist and his eyes. 

Searching for some sign of a prank or hoax to hurt him in some way.

The omega couldn’t find any hint of malicious intent in Pete’s eyes. 

He didn’t understand why Pete wanted him to hold his wrist but figured it was worth a shot to figure out why Pete seemed so different. 

He hadn’t yelled at him or hit or raped him yet.

'Maybe I could get lucky and Pete won’t hurt me. 

At least not as much as my owner did.'

Patrick moved slowly. 

Like a child learning to swim. 

He watched Pete’s eyes for any sign of movement or change but it was like Pete was a statue. 

Not blinking or fidgeting. 

Just waiting with a calm, genuine smile. 

Patient as Patrick had ever seen.

When Patrick finally grabbed Pete’s wrist, if you could call it that. 

His grip was so loose it could pass for feather brushing against him.

Pete said, “Okay, now you're in control. I won’t hurt you. I won’t even touch you if you don’t want. You can let go or hold on anytime, as tight as you want and for as long as you want. I won’t pull or push you away.”

Patrick was shocked but he tried to hide it. 

His owner had told him emotions are not allowed. 

He didn’t want to make Pete angry, so he tried to keep his face as even as possible.

Pete saw right through it of course. 

Patrick’s eyes give everything away.

He knew Patrick was scared. 

But he didn’t want to scare him more, so he went with it, and gave him a gentle smile that seemed to make him relax ever so slightly more.

They didn’t talk and eventually Patrick fell asleep holding onto Pete’s wrist with the image of his smile as the last thought he had.

Pete didn’t want Patrick to wake up alone, and he surely didn’t want anybody trying anything on Patrick. 

So he slept in the uncomfortable plastic chair next to Patrick’s bed. 

He was getting attached fast, too fast maybe. 

But, looking at the omega he couldn't imagine not helping him.


	6. This is New

The next morning Pete woke up to a nurse coming in with Patrick’s breakfast.

Patrick no longer had a hold of hist wrist but he didn't look as anxious as last night.

Patrick was awake staring down at his lap as the nurse put the table over the bed. 

Patrick looked at the food and then back at his lap.

For several minutes he seemed so unsure and scared that Pete thought maybe he felt sick until Patrick looked over at Pete and then back at his food, and then back to Pete.

This is new. 

Pete wasn’t sure of what to do. 

He wanted to fix whatever was making the omega so uncertain, but he didn’t know him well enough yet to know what his mannerisms meant.

Patrick continued looking back and forth between Pete and his food.

It was then that Pete thought maybe he was silently asking for permission to eat. 

Pete gave him his most gentle smile, the one that had somehow made Patrick trust him a little bit last night and nodded his head.

At that Patrick started eating quickly and even hummed a little at the taste. 

Pete thought this was sad because how bad does your previous meal have to be for hospital food to taste that good.

Then he realized that Patrick was probably starved a lot for him to look this thin, so almost anything would taste good.

He wanted to cry at how sad that thought was. 

But his anger outweighed the sorrow.

After Patrick finished his meal in silence, glancing at Pete every few minutes, he couldn’t help but praise him with a soft, “Good boy.”

Patrick’s eyes widened a bit at this, but he blushed slightly looking down at his lap again.

Pete moved the tray away from the bed and sat back down to face Patrick.

Pete had to go home and shower at some point, but he couldn’t make himself leave the omega’s side just yet. 

He figured he might try and ask him some more questions again.

“So, Patrick,” Patrick looked up at this, nervous in his eyes but his body language seemed calmer. 

Hiding his emotions again Pete thought.

“How old are you?” Pete decided to start of easy.

For a moment he wasn't sure if Patrick was going to answer him at all, but a small, cracked voice came out of him that sounded like a scared toddler.

“I-im not sure.” 

Pete frowned at that.

“Well, how long were you in that basement?”

Patrick flinched at this but looked back up at Pete and said, “That depends. What’s today's date?”

Pete felt nauseous, fearful that if the omega truly didn’t know, it meant he was probably down there for a very long time.

“July 22nd, 2001.”

Patrick visibly paled at that. 

Like a cartoon, all of the color from his face drained.

But he answered, “Then I’m 19 years old. And I was in the basement for…for 6 years.”

Pete wanted to puke. 

He wanted to kill, to maim whoever had a hand in locking up this innocent omega and torturing him.

“Why were you there in the first place?” Pete asked a bit of a harshness to his words.

Patrick looked at Pete and seemed to understand that the anger he sensed coming off of him was not directed at himself.

Patrick looked at Pete and then down at his lap as tears started sliding down his face, no noise came out and just as Pete was about to apologize for upsetting the omega, Patrick started to talk.


	7. If You Ever Hurt Joe, I'll Kill You

“My father, h-he…he s-sold me to him because I presented as an omega.” 

It was at this that Pete saw red. 

He jumped to his feet and started pacing, cursing out Patrick’s father, the man who bought him and the world in general for letting this happen.

Patrick jumped at the loudness of Pete’s words but didn’t hide, didn’t try to run. 

Because once again he realized that Pete wasn’t mad at him, he didn’t quite understand why Pete cared so much. 

But it made him feel good to have someone worry about him.

As Pete was shouting, a nurse and a doctor came in and threatened to call security on the alpha if he didn’t calm down. 

Pete froze when they threatened to kick him out, he needed to be here with Patrick. 

He took a deep breath and apologized.

The doctor seemingly confused as to what it was that had triggered the situation asked what happened, having just walked in on an angry, pacing alpha and a crying omega.

Pete looked over at Patrick, “Can I tell him?”

The doctor and nurse seemed surprised at this action, because as far as he knew the omega wouldn’t communicate. 

Patrick looked up at Pete and met his eyes, another surprise to the doctor and nurse.

He nodded that he was okay with Pete filling them in. 

Patrick thought better him than me.

Pete walked over to Patrick’s bed and sat next to him and rubbed his shoulders, Patrick leaned into the touch and averted his eyes to his lap again. 

He didn’t want to look at the doctor.

Pete started telling the doctor what Patrick had said, he tried to tell it in as calm of a voice as he could, not wanting to lose his temper and get kicked out, but his jaw was stiff and every now and then he squeezed Patrick a little tighter.

When he was finished the doctor went to file a report and the nurse came to say they needed to do more interpretive tests on Patrick to make sure his digestion and other such things were properly functioning.

Pete couldn’t go with him this time. 

So, he decided to go home to his shared apartment, shower and then come back. 

It wasn’t like he had work. 

He and his two best friends, Joe and Andy had a band. It wasn’t making them rich yet, but it was comfortable for the three of them.

Andy is an alpha and Joe is an omega. 

They’ve been a couple for about two years now. 

Pete was happy for them despite having to listen to their loud sex adventures during most nights of the week.

Joe and Andy worked at a record store around the corner and were able to pay the bills easily. 

Pete always offered to get a job, but Andy insisted that he spend his free time writing for the band instead. 

Pete didn’t mind, it gave him more time to volunteer.

Their band was still in need of a singer, so far Pete had been the one singing, and he hated it. 

He didn’t want to sing his words. 

He wanted to play them.

When Pete walked through the door, he noticed Andy and Joe on the couch arguing about Mario cart. 

Just seeing something so familiar and ordinary made him realize how wild his night had been.

He walked over to the couch and collapsed down next to Joe and closed his eyes. 

Joe seemed to take in his friends frazzled appearance and nudged his elbow into Andy’s ribs.

Andy looked over, “Pete? Buddy? You okay man?”

Pete cracked his eyes open and looked at his friends. 

He stared at Joe longer than he realized, how could anyone hurt an omega? 

It terrified him that Joe could’ve been treated like that. 

He felt his chest tighten at the thought of anyone hurting Joe. 

He was like a brother to Pete.

Pete’s emotions and thoughts got the better of him, he grabbed Joe and pulled him against his chest in a bear hug and buried his face in his friend’s shoulder.

Joe hugged him back and looked over at Andy to see if the other alpha was as confused as he was, but Andy just shrugged and tried again.

“Petey?” For an alpha Andy was incredibly soft spoken.

Pete shook his head and looked over at Andy. “I love you, but if you ever hurt Joe I’ll kill you.”

Both Joe and Andy were shocked at his words and for a moment Andy was a bit hurt. 

Why would Pete think I could ever hurt Joe?

“Andy would never hurt me.” Joe leaned back from Pete to look him in the eyes. 

Andy felt a bit of pride well up in his chest at his omegas confident statement. 

He wanted to hug Joe and praise him, but it seemed like Pete needed the omegas company now. 

He didn’t mind. 

They were a pack after all, if it were any other alpha touching his omega like that, he’d probably kill them on sight. 

But Pete? 

His friend, his brother, his family. It didn’t occur to him to mind.

He still didn’t know if he should say anything, Pete seemed a bit touchy with him right now. 

Just as he was trying to work out a way to get Pete to talk the other alpha finally spoke up.

“I’m sorry Andy. I know you wouldn’t hurt him…I just…it was a long night.” He said as he tightened his arms around Joe.

“What happened?”

He proceeded to tell the story from the time he got the call last night about the organization needing volunteers to help an omega being held hostage in some gang leader’s basement to Patrick, and everything he learned so far, right up to when he left the hospital this morning.

Andy jumped up and started pacing just as Pete had in Patrick’s hospital room. 

Joe stayed on Pete’s lap quietly playing with the alpha’s shirt. 

He hadn’t said anything yet, but he looked sick. He himself had been abused and kicked out by his father for presenting as an omega but was saved when Andy found him looking for food in their garbage.

He knew his Andy and Pete would never hurt him and that they would protect him from anyone who tried to hurt him. 

It didn’t stop him from worrying though. He started to shake a bit, and Pete immediately noticed.

“Andy.” Pete said in his alpha voice. He wasn't really giving an order, just trying to get him to stop pacing at look at his omega. 

Andy looked over at them to see a shaking Joe and immediately he shifted his focus to the omega. Going over and sitting down next to them so Joe could climb into his lap. 

Pete got up then to go and shower. 

He wanted to get back to Patrick as soon as possible.

When Pete got back to the living room Joe and Andy seemingly hadn’t moved. 

Joe wasn’t shaking much anymore but Pete could sense the anger coming from him.

“Are they dead? The ones who did this, are they dead?”

Pete sighed and told them that the one who bought and tortured Patrick was dead, and the man’s gang was all either dead or imprisoned but wasn’t sure where Patrick’s father was.

He thought for a moment he could track down Patrick's father and make him pay.

It was then he noticed that he didn’t even know Patrick’s last name.


	8. You Might Not Like It

When Pete got back to the hospital, Patrick was in his room staring at a lunch tray in front of him. 

He looked so hungry, Pete just didn’t understand why he would wait to eat it. 

Patrick looked up and noticed Pete in the doorway and sat up a little straighter and stared at Pete, silently asking for permission to eat again. 

Pete just nodded and smiled like last time, making a mental note to talk to Patrick about this at some point. 

He walked into the room and got comfortable in his chair as Patrick ate his food. When he was finished, he smiled a small smile over to Pete, so the alpha took this as his que to say something.

“Sorry I was gone so long, I thought they would be running tests longer.”

“That’s alright. I’m glad you came back.” 

“Of course.” Pete said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Well if I’m going to be visiting you often maybe we should learn more about each other. So how about I ask you a question and then you can ask me a question?”

“Ok.” Patrick felt nervous but nodded because Pete looked really excited.

“Whats your last name?”

“Stump. What’s yours?”

“Wentz. When is your birthday?”

“April 27th. You?”

“June 5th. What did you like to do for fun as a kid?” At first Pete flinched at his question and regretted it when he saw Patrick look down but then he heard the answer.

“Music mostly. My mother loved music, she taught me a lot. I liked to sing and play guitar and piano. I could drum too.” Pete was beyond excited about this new information. Common ground. A neutral subject they can talk about. Just as he was about to mention his band Patrick said something that shattered his thought process. 

“Sometimes when I was in the…the basement I would sing to myself to calm down or go to sleep. But I was usually punished if I got caught.”

Pete was starting to see red again until Patrick kept talking.

“I also liked books. I could read for hours. I liked fantasy stuff mostly.” At that Pete smiled. Joe liked books too. He was always jabbering on about a new book he found. Maybe he could bring in some of Joe’s books for him to read. Hell, maybe he’d just bring Joe.

Pete noticed the way Patrick smiled when he mentioned his mother.

She must not have been like his father.

Maybe she’s nice.

Maybe Pete should try to find her.

He’ll have to ask Patrick more about her sometime.

“What do you do for fun?” When Patrick asked this, Pete saw his chance. Common ground. His thoughts from earlier came back and he started talking about music.

“Me and my two best friends have a band. We play a lot of punk rock kind of stuff. I play bass, and I sing but not by choice, I was outvoted and now I have to.” Patrick smiled. He smiled. Pete came to a conclusion that if talking about music makes Patrick smile than he doesn’t ever want to stop.

“I’d like to hear it sometime. Your music.”

“You might not like it.”

“Yes I will.”

Pete didn’t argue. He couldn’t. Not with that smile.

Patrick looked across the room towards the windows. The curtains were closed and there was a bit of light coming through the cracks. 

Pete noticed where he was looking and moved to open them, after all, Patrick hadn’t technically seen outside in years. He went from van to blindfolds to the basement. Even the walk to the ambulance was short. Then the inside of a hospital. When he opened them, he heard a small gasp come from the omega.

“Pete…where are we? The town I mean…”

“Los Angeles…?” Pete didn’t understand the omegas confusion at first but then it hit him like a grand piano. Patrick might not even be from here.

Patrick looked a little shaken, must not have been the answer he was expecting then. 

“Where were you from?”

“Chicago.” At this news it was Pete’s turn to turn pale. He didn’t know what to say. 

Patrick had been across the country for years and didn’t even know it. Maybe it’s a good thing, not being so close to the monster that sold him. If Pete ever did catch up with the other alpha, he’s sure he wouldn’t hold back from killing him.


	9. Thanks Pete

Pete really didn’t know what to say, so he just hugged Patrick tight to his chest and nuzzled against his neck. He expected him to pull away. This is the most physical contact he had had with the omega. 

He tried to remember everything he was taught about omegas at OSR and decided on scenting him. That was supposed to be relaxing so he buried his nose in Patrick’s neck for a few moments. Patrick stilled at first but just like the hug he was getting he didn’t pull away. He didn’t want to. 

Patrick didn’t know why he trusted this alpha so much. But he liked everything about him, his scent, his voice, his eyes, and most of all his smile. The smile that reminded him so much of his mother.

After a few moments Patrick did feel calmer, his scent had gone back to its sweet, softness and Pete decided he should always smell like this. 

“Thanks Pete.” 

Patrick didn’t pull away though. He felt so safe with the alpha there holding him. Pete went to move back to the chair because he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable, but when he began to move Patrick pulled his arm and said, “Sit with me.” 

He was surprised but did as he was asked, eager to stay close to the omega. Patrick slid over a bit making room for Pete to get in the bed next to him. When they got situated Patrick had his head on Pete’s shoulder, a hand on his wrist. 

Pete hadn’t prompted him to hold his wrist but decided not to mention it. He liked that Patrick felt comfortable enough with him to have initiated physical contact.

He didn’t want to push his luck with the omega but was desperately curious about his past before being held captive. But how does he ask a question like that?

A nurse and Patrick’s doctor walked into the room and stopped when they saw the two in the bed. They came over to check on Patrick’s vitals and give him his next dosage of meds.

“Hello Pete. How are you today Patrick?” The doctor had had been closely monitoring the omega since he was brought in last night.

Yesterday, he treated Patrick’s wounds, some requiring stitches, he had reset his dislocated shoulder, and during the additional scans this morning he found that Patrick had a lot of broken bones which had healed but not properly. Patrick had yet to speak to him.

It seemed he wasn’t going to today either. Patrick didn’t look up when the doctor spoke to him. He just hid his face behind Pete’s shoulder.

The doctor had been caring for and treating omegas for the past forty years. He was used to shy omegas. But not many of them were completely silent. And almost none of them felt comfortable around alphas so quickly after leaving a situation like Patrick’s. 

The doctor made a note of this and came to the conclusion that speaking to Pete may at least get him some information to treat or at least identify Patrick better.

“Has he spoken any more to you?” The doctor was now looking at Pete.

Pete looked down at the omega next to him, using Pete’s shoulder as a shield from the doctor and his questions. He figured Patrick trusted him before to talk to the doctor for him. So, he looked up at the doctor and nodded.

“His last name is Stump. He was from Chicago. He was...in the basement for six years.” The doctor nodded and looked back and forth between the two again before turning and leaving the room.

“He’s gone.”

Patrick lifted his head and gave Pete a small smile. Pete knew Patrick was scared to talk to the doctor and nurses. He was willing to talk for him. He'd do anything for him. But he also knew that omegas who didn't eventually speak to the hospital staff at least a little would have a harder time getting released from the hospital, and were usually just transferred to the psych ward. He didn't want Patrick in there. 

"Eventually you'll have to say something to them so they can hear that pretty voice of yours." Pete gave him a small smile. He thought maybe suggesting that he talk in a light hearted manner would make Patrick more comfortable with the idea.

"What if I say something wrong and they get mad?" Patrick looked genuinely worried.

"They wont." Pete said firmly. He could tell Patrick wasn't entirely satisfied with the answer so he continued, "If they do i'll fight them." Pete smirked because he totally would. He would fight anybody for Patrick.

The omega seemed happy with this but still said, "I don't want to see you fight."

"Then I guess you'll have to believe me when I said that they won't be mad at you and say something. You don't have to say a lot. Just enough so that they know your still aware of your surroundings." Pete said the last part dramatically on purpose trying to make Patrick smile again. It worked.

Patrick's dinner was brought in and Patrick looked over at Pete then down at his lap. As the nurse was moving the tray over Patrick's bed he mumbled a quiet, "Thanks." It was so quiet that Pete wasn't sure if the woman heard him but when he looked up her smile widened a bit. "Your welcome dear."

When the nurse left the room, Patrick turned to Pete, "Do you want any? You don't have a meal."

Pete shook his head. He wouldn't take Patrick's food. He was still extremely thin. That was something else he had to do to get released from the hospital, get to a healthy stable weight. 

"I'll just go get something from the vending machine in the hall." He didn't want to leave Patrick for that long, even if it was just a few minutes. Then he got an idea.

"I will be right back I promise." 

As Pete walked out of the room he kept looking back as if to see if Patrick was still there. Like he was afraid he would disappear. When Pete got to the vending machine he pulled out his wallet and started getting one of everything. He didn't know what Patrick liked. But he thought he deserved some kind of treat. Patients weren't technically supposed to be eating junk food from the vending machines, but he figured it would at least taste better than the junk "food" from the hospital's kitchen.

When he got back to Patrick's room he walked in with all of the snacks in his shirt that he flipped up to act as a pouch and dumped them all on Patrick's bed. Patrick started giggling. 

"Pete! Did you fight the vending machine?" He said between laughs. Pete thought Patrick's laugh was the most beautiful sound in the world. 

"See anything you like?" 

Patrick looked down at the pile of snacks and picked up a bag of skittles. 

"Me and my friends used to see who could fit the most in our mouths. My friend Brendon always won though. Gerard would try to cheat and hide them in his sleeve." Patrick smiled at the memory. So did Pete, because this meant that not all of his past was grim and painful. He had friends, and a mother who he seemingly cared a great deal for.

Pete started digging into a snack cake when he noticed Patrick wasn't eating. Pete knew what was wrong. He still thought he needed to be given permission. 

This was obviously difficult for the omega, but Pete wanted to make sure that Patrick learned that he could eat without permission without being told. He nodded again and gave a tight smile. 

Patrick was trapped in his own thoughts again. He just didn't understand why Pete wasn't giving him orders or anything. 'My owner... if...when I spoke or ate, I was supposed to wait for his permission and order, but he hasn't given me any orders and he seemed confused when I waited for permission', Patrick thought. 

Patrick decided that next time they are he would try and not wait for permission. Maybe he would be punished, but Pete hasn't told him any rules yet, he wasn't sure what he was allowed or not allowed to do. 

"This is more than I think I've eaten all year." Patrick looked at the pile of food on his bed, not sure where to begin. 

"Well, from now on, I am not letting you miss any meals." 

Pete was fuming and Patrick seemed to notice because he dropped his head to rest on Pete's shoulder and started rubbing his arm. 

Pete calmed in a matter of seconds, completely lost in the omegas touches.

When Patrick noticed this he reached out and started eating his food.

Hesitantly at first, glancing at Pete a few times until he was sure he wasn't going to punish him, then he dug into the food and completely relaxed against the alpha.

They continued eating and talking til most of the snacks were gone and all of Patrick's actual meal was eaten. Pete hid the snacks that they didn't eat under his sweatshirt on the chair. He still sat on the bed with Patrick.

Whenever a nurse entered the room to check on him Patrick would stop talking and look down. He replied to their questions in small 'yes' 'no' and 'thank yous' but still couldn't make eye contact with any of them.

Just Pete.


	10. Scent

Over the next several days they had adapted a comfortable routine. 

Every morning when Patrick woke up doctors would run tests, ask him questions, he was getting better at answering them. He didn’t speak a lot, but it wasn’t one-word answers anymore. 

Then they would have breakfast, the nurse who usually brought Patrick’s had started making a plate for Pete too. 

“You can’t just survive on vending machine nutrition.” She had said. 

Then they would cuddle, and Pete would ask questions about Patrick’s life before he presented. 

Lunch was a repeat of breakfast.

Then Pete would go home to shower and check in with Andy and Joe. 

Then he would come back and spend the night in the chair.

Today was particularly interesting. 

When Pete went home after lunch, he was bombarded by Joe hugging the breath out of him. He wouldn’t complain though. It had been a few days since they even had a proper conversation. 

He hugged Joe back and looked over at Andy, who was currently smirking at Pete. He could smell the Patrick’s scent all over his friend and could tell that Pete was smitten. 

Andy and Joe hadn’t met Patrick yet. Pete wasn’t sure how to go about that. He didn’t want to make Patrick uncomfortable, he was still reserved around the hospital staff, how would he react to another alpha? 

He thought maybe just to bring Joe sometime, at least as a start. Another omega might make him more comfortable.

Pete pulled away after a few minutes to go shower and when he got back out Joe resumed his position of a koala on Pete.

“Tell meeee! Please tell me about him!” He was begging Pete for information on the other omega. 

Pete knew why he was so curious. Joe hadn’t met very many other omegas. 

The laws about omegas had made it so it was hard for them to do anything without an alpha. They couldn’t live by themselves, they couldn’t hold jobs. 

Joe went to work with Andy and worked there along with him, but he didn’t get a paycheck. 

The owner of the record store they worked at was a beta, she was kind and sympathized with him, so every week she gave Joe his wages in cash and marked them in her books as part of Andy’s pay so the IRS wouldn’t find out she employed an omega. 

Many omegas were living on the streets or in shelters dedicated to homeless omegas. The ORS organization that Pete volunteered for ran one. 

The ones who had homes were often abused, and if they weren’t abused, they were kept inside so they would be safe, if they went out, they were escorted by their alphas. 

It wasn’t illegal to abuse omegas. The only reason they even found Patrick was because the mob leader that had owned him had been seen on someones security cameras robbing a house.

Thinking about all of this made Pete hug Joe a little tighter. He started telling him everything about Patrick he could think of. He didn’t notice when Andy started paying attention, but he was glad to finally talk about Patrick to someone.

 

Meanwhile…

It was day 9 since Patrick was rescued.

At the hospital Patrick always got a little more tense when Pete left to go home every day. He knew he needed to go home sometimes but usually when Pete left, he had to face the nurses and doctor alone.

During the time Pete left everyday is when he would shower, the nurses would change the sheets on his bed and the doctor would come in to try and coax more answers from him. 

Today he had asked how Patrick felt about Pete being here so often. 

Patrick didn’t answer that question. He didn’t have to. The doctor saw how much Patrick blushed at the alpha’s name.

He was still in pain but not nearly as bad as it was a week ago. He was getting some of his weight back, and he was talking more, and he even managed to make eye contact with a few nurses. 

His doctor had said his progress was going well, and he would eventually lessen the number of tests run on him every day.

Today after Pete left, Patrick very reluctantly went to get a shower. He didn’t want to. He didn’t want to lose Pete’s scent. 

He knew Pete left his sweatshirt on the chair when he left. He wanted to put it on, cover himself in Pete’s scent again, but he also didn't want to cross any lines.

When he got out, he kept thinking about how much he missed Pete already. He had really started to like Pete. So much so that he would daydream about Pete being his alpha. He knew Pete was a kind and gentle person, so he figured that he wouldn’t mind if he put on his sweatshirt.

They had been talking a lot but not much came up about Pete’s life outside the hospital since he told him he was in a band. Patrick wanted to ask more questions but wasn’t sure if he should. There were a lot of things he was unsure of.

He wanted to know more about his band. Pete had talked about his bandmates before. He wondered what they were like, and if they were nice like Pete. He couldn’t imagine Pete being friends with alphas who would hurt omegas.

He was daydreaming when Pete got back.

He smiled when Pete walked into the room an when Pete noticed Patrick in his sweatshirt, he smiled wider than he thought he ever could.

But when Pete got closer, Patrick noticed something and tensed. 

Something was off. 

It was Pete’s scent.

He smelled like an omega.

Like another omega had gotten their scent on him.


	11. I Like You

“Hey Patrick.” The alpha smiled as he sat down.

Pete took notice of how the omega was wearing his sweatshirt and smiled. It was too big on his thin frame and looked more like a blanket was wrapped around him. He had his hands hidden away inside the sleeves. 

Patrick is fuckin adorable.

Patrick looked up at him and gave him a tight, fake smile. “Hi.” Patrick was seething with anger but tried not to show it. He knew he didn’t have a right to be jealous, he had only known Pete a little over a week, and he wasn’t his mate. But it was still painful. 

He had become attached to the alpha. And he thought the alpha cared for him as well. Maybe he was just being nice by taking care of him. 

The omega’s scent on Pete wasn’t a bad smell…it just wasn’t him. He probably has an omega of his own at home. But…Pete’s mating gland wasn’t bit yet. He couldn’t imagine Pete keeping an omega as a pet or a servant, not after the way he acts around him. He didn’t want Pete to be mad at him for being jealous, he didn’t want him to know at all. 

How embarrassing would that be? Some random omega he helped rescue and care for grew attached to him and thought he had too. Patrick didn’t want to be rejected. Living in ignorance seemed better. At least that way he could still have Pete the way he has, with cuddles, and soft words. He couldn’t help but wonder what the other omega is like. Why Pete likes them enough to let them get their scent all over him. Of course...he and Pete…they’ve scented each other before. Maybe this was the other omega’s way of letting Patrick know that he shouldn’t be scenting Pete. 

While Patrick was having an inner battle with his mind Pete was just as confused…

Why is Patrick upset? Even though he says he isn’t he can smell the anger and sadness coming off him. But what happened? Did the doctor do something? But…the omega’s anger seemed to be directed at Pete. What had he done? 

Pete pulled out his phone to check the time. He hadn’t gotten back late. Did he forget something? He couldn’t remember Patrick asking him for anything. He certainly didn’t forget any scheduled meetings with Patrick’s doctor. He had those memorized after Patrick said he didn’t want to do them alone.

He desperately wanted to fix whatever it was that had upset Patrick so much, but he didn’t know what it was yet? If he asked it could make things worse…if he didn’t things would be catastrophic. He didn’t want to lose the omega. He had grown so attached to him since meeting him. He couldn’t imagine doing anything to upset the omega.

“Umm…what’s wrong?” 

Patrick slowly glanced up at him again this time he could see a little fear in his eyes, but his scent was still mostly angry and sad.

“Nothing.” Patrick shook his head and looked down at his lap. The same way he had earlier in the week when anybody else came into his room. 

“Come on Patrick, you know you can tell me anything. What happened?”

This time Patrick didn’t answer. Pete reached out to put his hand on Patrick’s shoulder only to see him flinch away from the touch. What happened? He tried to look at Patrick’s face, he could tell he was crying now, silently. No sound was coming out of the omega, but tears were slipping down his face. 

Pete was almost crying too. He never wanted to be the reason that Patrick felt this way.

He wanted to reach out and hug the omega close like he had before and scent him. That seemed to work last time the omega was upset but Patrick didn’t seem to want anything to do with him.

Patrick knew he messed up. He wanted to hide his emotions from Pete, but the alpha seemed to know what he was feeling anyway. He was going to lose him for sure now. Maybe it’s for the best…if he had an alpha like Pete, he wouldn’t want him coming home every day with some strange omega’s scent all over him. 

If Patrick had to lose Pete, he was at least happy that another omega was with a good alpha that would care for them.

“You should go home Pete. Go home and don’t worry about coming back.”

Pete felt numb. What was happening? This was nothing like the set-backs that abused omegas sometimes went through, this was something entirely new to Pete.

“Patrick…please tell me what’s wrong…please…I promise I’m sorry for anything that I did to upset you.” Pete’s voice was shaky, but he didn’t care. Patrick was surprised at Pete’s voice. And…Pete’s emotions…they smelled like worry and fear…confusion. 

He didn’t understand why Pete was upset. He could go home to his omega and he didn’t have to take care of Patrick any more. He was free. When Patrick looked up at the alpha, he saw that Pete had tears in his eyes. They weren’t falling yet. But Patrick could see them there. He was stunned. He had never seen an alpha cry before. 

He figured that this was it. If he tells Pete the truth, he might lose him…but he just told Pete to leave and never come back, so he loses him for certain if he doesn’t say anything.

“Pete…” he saw how the alpha held his breath, “…sit down.” Without hesitation Pete dropped down into the chair and stared at Patrick. He was very still, afraid that if he moved the omega would get upset again. 

Patrick looked over at him and pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands again. Pete’s sweatshirt. He pulled the collar up over his mouth to breath in the scent that was still in the fabric. 

Pete hadn’t stopped staring at him. Hadn't even moved.

“I…I really like you Pete…I mean I…I’ve gotten really attached to you…and I just really like being close to you. And I’m sorry for being rude, it’s just I know that your omega probably means a lot to you and I guess I just got jealous. I’m sorry. Even if you don’t want to be around me anymore, I just want you to know that.”

Pete was shocked. For multiple reasons. Patrick liked him too. Like actually liked him, and he liked having him around. The other part that surprised him was Patrick said, “your omega”. What the hell did he mean by that?

“Patrick, I really, really like you too. And…I’ll always want to be around you. You’re fuckin perfect. But…what omega are you talking about?”

Patrick’s head snapped up at that. He was beyond confused. How could Pete not know that there was an omega’s scent all over him?

“The…Pete you smell like an omega.” Patrick’s eyebrows were knitted together in concentration.

Pete just stared for a moment. 

Of course.

Patrick said he was jealous.

Now it made sense. 

He smiled brightly at Patrick.

He knew how to fix this.

Joe.


	12. They'll Be Here in the Morning

“Why are you so smiley?” Patrick really didn’t get it. Pete acted like he had no idea that another omegas scent was on him and now he was practically glowing in the chair. 

Pete was beyond excited. Patrick liked him and wanted him too and he now knew why he was upset, and HE could fix it. He could make Patrick happy again. Or at least happier than he is now. 

Patrick thought that Pete liked another omega or at least had one as a pet or slave at home, no wonder he had been so angry at Pete. 

If he smelt another alpha on Patrick, he would straight up lose his shit.

“The omega scent that you smell on me…it isn’t what you think. The scent its from Joe. One of my best friends, I mentioned him before. He’s one of the guys in my band.”

It took Patrick a moment for this to sink in. Pete didn’t have an omega at home. Well he did but not as a pet or slave or future mate. A friend? Pete was friends with an omega. This shouldn’t have surprised him, Pete had been very kind and hadn’t acted like an aggressively controlling alpha. Now Patrick felt embarrassed. He should’ve had more faith in Pete. He should’ve just asked instead of getting mad and telling him to leave.

“I’m so sorry Alpha.” Pete flinched at the name. He didn’t like being called alpha this way. Not when the omega was so upset. Joe didn’t call him alpha and he only called Andy alpha when they were having unreasonably loud sex. He had told Patrick that he didn’t have to call him alpha. But he supposes that right now the omega was too emotional to focus on that. Patrick’s eyes were watering a bit. 

Pete wanted to comfort the omega, but he wasn’t sure if he was allowed back in Patrick’s personal space yet. Pete leaned forward towards the bed a bit and held out his wrist for the omega to grab. 

Patrick latched onto him immediately and began pulling Pete forwards. He happily moved to where the omega wanted him and when Patrick went for a hug, he was only too happy to comply. He buried his nose in Patrick’s neck and started scenting him like he had before. 

“Shh, shh, shh. You’re safe. I’m sorry for not mentioning that Joe was an omega.” Patrick nodded, his scent starting to go back to normal.

Patrick relaxed into Pete’s chest, the alpha still smelled like another omega, but now that he knew who it was…he was fine with it. He actually kind of liked it. The other omegas scent smelled nice. Calming but with a bit of something bubbly and something else kind of fiery. He seemed like the type of person Pete would be friends with.

Pete noticed the way Patrick was sniffing at Joe’s scent on his shirt. Patrick didn’t look upset anymore, mostly just curious. He had to introduce them. He was going to wait until Patrick felt more comfortable with the nurses before bringing anyone else in, but it seemed like the right time might be now.

“You wanna meet him? I can text Andy to bring him in tomorrow if you want. You don’t have to though…only if you’re sure that you’re ready.”

Patrick thought about it for a moment. He did want to meet him. He wanted to meet Andy too. The idea of meeting Pete’s friends was both exciting and scary. What if they didn’t like him?

“I want to meet them but…are you sure they’ll like me?”

Pete wanted to laugh at this, but he just smiled.

“Joe already likes you. He’s asked about you every time that I’ve seen him this week.”

Patrick felt a little less nervous at that. He looked up from Pete’s chest to look at his eyes. 

“I want to meet them.”

Pete pulled out his phone and texted Andy.

To: Andy  
can you bring joe dwn tmrw

To: Pete  
you sure?

To: Andy  
Yeah Patrick wants to meet you guys

To: Pete  
B there @ 9

“They’ll be here in the morning.”

Patrick smiled and cuddled back into Pete. They stayed like that until dinner was brought in. Then their routine went back to normal. But this time Patrick had a lot of questions about Joe and Andy which Pete very happily answered. It was nice to see Patrick come back to himself.

 

Andy wasn’t going to tell Joe that they were going to meet Patrick. If he did there’s no way the omega would sleep tonight. He knew that something must have happened for Pete to want to bring Joe in so soon. He could ask tomorrow. For now he had his own omega to look after. So he just leaned back on the couch and pulled Joe close and kissed his head. The omega hummed and pressed back into the touch completely oblivious to his alpha's plan.


	13. Andy and Joe

In hindsight Pete maybe should’ve kept it a secret but he didn’t want to surprise Patrick with company. Surprises are the last thing the omega needs right now.

Patrick didn’t sleep well last night and as a result neither did Pete. He could feel the omega turning and squirming next to him. He tried scenting him a few times but that only lasted so long.

It was about 8am and they were currently eating breakfast. Only an hour left. The omega had been quiet this morning. It worried Pete a bit but every time he sniffed the air to check on Patrick’s emotions they were mostly just excited. As long as they didn’t change to fear or panic everything would be fine.

 

Andy woke Joe up at 7am. 7AM. 

“What the fuck babe? It is too early and its Saturday. Why are you making get up early ON A SATURDAY?!?”

Andy just smiled at his mate because even when he was angry, he was cute. He wouldn’t tell him that though. Joe liked to think he was intimidating when he was mad.

“I have a surprise for you.” Is all Andy said before he left their bedroom to go finish making breakfast. Joe’s curiosity was piqued. 

Even though his body protested the early hour he forced himself out of bed to follow after his alpha. He found him in the kitchen and just waited. He didn’t see a surprise when he looked around. Everything was just as they left it last night.

“Sit. Eat. Then shower. We have to leave by 8:30.” Andy said as he served up the plates of food and took his own seat.

Joe did as he was told and sat down next to him. Andy was acting so strange. Why get me up early? Where are we going? What was the occasion? He’s sure it’s not a birthday or anniversary.

He wanted to ask these things but the smirk on Andy’s face told him that he wouldn’t be getting any answers if he did ask them, so he just ate his breakfast occasionally glancing over at his alpha only to have Andy look back and smile each time.

To say Joe was excited was an understatement. He had actually finished getting ready to leave before Andy and was waiting by the front door as the alpha was still putting his shoes on. 

Andy saw the way the omega was practically vibrating and even though it was cute he was worried that it would be too much for Patrick. But still, Pete said that Patrick wanted to meet them.

They walked out of their apartment towards Andy’s car. They had only been driving a few minutes when Joe’s impatience got the best of him.

“How far away is it?”

Andy just shook his head and chuckled. The hospital wasn’t a far drive, usually only took about 20 minutes. When they pulled into the hospital everything seemed to click for Joe.

“Patrick? I get to meet him?”

Andy nodded, “As soon as we get—”

Joe was already out of the car and jogging to the entrance doors. Andy would have to remind him not to walk away from him like that. He knew Joe was excited and he didn’t mind but not all alphas are okay with an omega being in public without an escort leading them. Someone might try to hurt him.

Andy caught up to him at the door and grabbed Joe’s hand giving it a squeeze. Maybe if they held hands then Joe wouldn’t be able to wonder off. They walked over to the waiting room and Andy texted Pete that they were here.

“They’re here. I’m gonna go get them. I’ll be right back.” 

Patrick stiffened a bit but smiled and nodded. He was still excited. As Pete left the room Patrick’s nerves were rising. He pulled Pete’s sweatshirt on again and buried his nose inside the collar.

Pete walked down to the waiting room and relaxed a bit when he saw his friends. Joe’s legs were bouncing, and his free hand was tapping on the arm of the chair. His other hand was being held tight in Andy’s, who looked extremely calm. Happy but calm. This calmed Pete enough to walk all the way over to them. 

They stood up as he approached, and Pete immediately hugged the alpha. Andy wrapped his free arm around his friend not trusting Joe’s patience enough to let go of him yet. 

Even though Pete was an alpha, it comforted him to know that he had Andy. Andy was always the calm one and he never seemed to mind taking care of Pete when he needed attention or support.

“Let’s do this.”

As they were walking down the hall Andy could tell Pete was nervous so when Pete stopped outside presumably Patrick’s room, he pulled Joe back a bit and said, “Pete you go in first and make sure he’s still comfortable, tell us when you’re both ready for us to come in.”

Pete smiled at Andy and nodded. The other alpha always seemed to know what to do. That’s probably why he didn’t even try to be pack alpha when they got together. He trusted Andy.

Pete walked in and looked at Patrick, he was sitting in his bed playing with his shirt sleeves again, pulling them over his hands. He looked up at Pete and then to the door expectantly. His scent still wasn’t fearful. So Pete took that as a good sign.

“They’re here. In the hall. Its not too late to say no. I can tell them to—”

“Pete.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to meet them.” Patrick was determined. He had made up his mind, he thought it was funny that Pete seemed more nervous than he was.

“Okay….guys…come on in.” He called over his shoulder in the direction of the door.

Andy had wanted to go in slowly as not to spook the omega, but it seemed Joe had other plans. He burst into the room as soon as he heard Pete’s approval, pulling Andy along with him.

“Patrick, this is Andy and the curly one is Joe.”

Patrick looked directly at Joe, he seemed like a nice person, he could sense the other omega’s excitement. He was shorter than Pete and Andy, probably close to the same height as Patrick he guessed. Joe had the biggest smile on his face and he kinda reminded Patrick of a puppy.

This was who Patrick was angry at. He felt like such an asshole. He shouldn’t be angry at Joe. No body should ever be angry at Joe. He looked so innocent and cuddly. 

“Hi.” He still hadn’t taken his eyes off of Joe.

“Hi Patrick, Pete talked about you a lot.” He smiled and it was infectious making Patrick smile too.

Suddenly Joe looked over his shoulder at the alphas, “Can I sit next to him? Please?” The question wasn’t really directed at one in particular but Andy looked to Pete who looked to Patrick. Patrick smiled and nodded. He wanted to get to know more about the other omega. He didn’t know why he trusted him so quickly, but his scent made him feel calm and safe. Similar to the way Pete’s had. 

The second Andy let go of Joe’s hand he was lunging across the room towards the chair next to Patrick’s bed. It was only after this action that Patrick even noticed that the two had been holding hands. When Joe sat down Patrick could see more of his features up close. 

That’s when he saw it.

Joe’s mating gland was marked. He was mated. Joe noticed Patrick staring at his neck and somehow understood. Patrick didn’t have much experience with kind alphas from what Pete had told him. It was probably hard for him to imagine an alpha that wouldn’t hurt him. Patrick didn’t expect him to be mated. He looked at Patrick and then over to his alpha.

He reached up and touched his mark, and in a loving voice he said, “Andy is my mate…he saved me a few years ago from the streets.” 

Andy inhaled sharply, he knew Joe didn’t like talking about his past. Maybe it was easier with an omega. Patrick seemed to like the answer though because he started talking to Joe. About his past. Neither Pete or Andy expected that. But Joe, Joe’s emotions stayed the steady calm that they had been as if he had expected nothing else.

He looked over at Pete and nodded towards the door. The alphas slowly stepped out into the hallway as not to disturb the omegas.

“They’re talking to each other like they’re old friends. They already trust each other. How?” Pete looked up at Andy relief and confusion clouding his eyes. 

“No one understands an omega better than another omega Petey.”


	14. What Brothers Are For

Andy and Pete were standing in the doorway watching the two interact. It was fascinating really. Joe told him all about how he was rejected for being an omega too. How he lived on the streets before Andy found him. Patrick told him about his life before he presented and how he wondered if his friends missed him. 

And he talked about his mother. He didn’t even know if she knew what happened to him. He was just gone one day. Joe was calm and understanding the entire time. 

Joe wasn’t too emotional about his past anymore. But only because it had been awhile since he had been saved. Patrick didn’t have that advantage. He was exhibiting more emotion now with Joe than he had since he was rescued, and Pete was thankful for this. It wasn’t good for Patrick to hide everything.

Pete had to turned away from the room for a minute when he heard Patrick start talking about his torture. He didn’t want to hear. The parts he already knew were enough to make him sick and angrier than he had ever been. 

Andy watched his friend. He knew this was hard on him. He would feel the same way if Joe were in Patrick’s place.

“Breath Petey.” 

Pete looked over and started apologizing, “Im sorry… im sorry. I know… I know I should be stronger…I need to be stronger for Patrick…its…its just hard and –”

“Petey. That’s not what I was going to say.”

Pete just looked up at his friend, Andy had seen Pete go through a lot. They had been friends since they were kids, but this was different. 

“Just because you’re an alpha, it doesn’t mean that your feelings aren’t valid and important too. Sometimes strength comes from being vulnerable.”

Pete smiled at him, “That’s really cliché.” They both knew he was just teasing of course. Pete sometimes hid his emotions with sarcasm. 

“Thank you Andy.”

“You don’t have to thank me, that’s what a brothers are for.”

During their childhoods Pete had a lot of issues with bullies. He was hyper and talked more than other kids and sometimes he was really quiet and sad. Most kids ignored him or picked on him or just avoided him all together. All except Andy. 

The alpha adults were worse than the kids. Alphas would use their alpha voice to make Pete be quiet or be still when they were annoyed by him. 

Omega adults though, they never judged him or hurt him or made him calm down. That’s why he has so much respect for them. They knew what it was like to be controlled so they never did it to him.

Andy never questioned why Pete was the way he was. He didn’t need too. Pete was always nice to him. Andy himself was a quiet kid that got picked on a lot. Pete stood up for him, even if it meant he got hurt himself. 

Loyalty is like a vice for Pete. When Andy got caught in it, he gave him every bit of trust and loyalty he had. Andy is the first person to never throw it back in his face, instead he reciprocated it full force. They had been inseparable ever since.

They looked at each other for a moment before turning back to look in at the omegas. Joe had moved to the bed and he and Patrick were now cuddling under the covers whispering and giggling like school girls. Occasionally they would glance over at Pete and Andy. They must be talking about them. Subtlety is neither of their specialties.

“Is Andy nice?” Patrick couldn’t help but be curious. Pete was the first nice alpha that he had ever met. He hoped Andy was nice too. The idea of someone abusing Joe made him want to cry.

“He’s amazing. The calmest and most gentle alpha I’ve met.”

“What about Pete?” He got a little anxious with this question, but Joe had known him a lot longer than Patrick had so he would know more. 

Still, Joe seemed to understand, “He’s a sweetheart, very gentle and cuddly like a koala. He doesn’t always keep calm but he’ll never take anything out on somebody else.”

Patrick smiled, he knew this. Pete had gotten upset at things that had happened to Patrick, had raised his voice and paced around, but never directed any of it at him.

“Do you want to meet Andy? More properly this time?” It was now that he realized he hadn’t spoken a single word to the other alpha yet.

“Okay.”

“Andy.” Joe called out to him and waved his hand to get him to come closer. Patrick took immediate notice of how Joe didn’t call him alpha. Pete had asked him not to call him alpha too. Strange. Patrick couldn’t remember a time when an alpha didn’t want to be addressed as such, especially by an omega. He didn’t want to seem rude though. 

Andy made his way over to stand at the end of Patrick’s bed, Pete tagging along next to him. 

“Andy, Patrick wanted to say hello.”

“Hi alpha.” 

Andy smiled and as gently as possible shook his head, “Hi Patrick. You don’t need to call me alpha. Just Andy is fine, or whichever you’re more comfortable with.”

Patrick nodded. He still didn’t get it, but it made him more comfortable at least. An alpha who didn’t mind not being called ‘alpha’ was probably way nicer than one who insisted upon it. 

Patrick looked over to Pete who was just grinning at him and then looked to Joe. He needed to know if this was really okay. Joe nodded in understanding at the silent question.

“Hi Andy.”

There were some pleasant exchanges between the four of them for a while. Nothing too deep though. Mostly about music. Patrick still hadn’t heard any of their music and he desperately wanted to. Joe wanted to know more about what instruments Patrick could play.

They had spent the next few hours talking and getting to know each other. Around noon, they were all so engrossed in their conversations that none of them heard or saw Patrick’s doctor come into the room.


	15. Ownership

For a few moments the doctor didn’t say anything. He was too in shock at what he was seeing. 

Patrick was talking calmly, fluidly, he wasn’t staring at his lap. He even smiled a few times. He was comfortable with Pete and whoever the other two are, comfortable enough to laugh and smile and maintain eye contact with them. 

He knew that the omega has grown attached to Pete, it had been hard to miss with the way he would look to Pete for permission and hide behind him. Not to mention the fact that Pete was in all of the meetings that doctor did with him, and he had spent every night in here with Patrick since he was brought in. 

But they had grown close gradually, over a few days at least. Who were these two? The doctor could tell that One of them was an alpha and the other an omega. He supposes, Patrick trusting an omega wasn’t unusual but a new alpha? 

He wanted to make his presence known so he cleared his throat, and immediately four pairs of eyes were on him, one pair disappearing as quick as they came.

Patrick was staring down at his lap playing with his sleeves again as the doctor spoke.

“Patrick, I see your company is increasing.”

Patrick didn’t look up, just nodded slowly and gave a small “yes”. Joe put his arm around Patrick and pulled him against his side and shot a quick glare at the doctor for making Patrick so uncomfortable. 

Andy knew that the doctor didn’t mean to make Patrick nervous and he also knew that Joe was just trying to protect the other omega but he still locked eyes with Joe and shook his head slightly. Joe conceded and stopped glaring and turned his attention back to Patrick.

Pete moved over to where the doctor was standing, “These are my friends Andy and Joe.” He gestured over to them. 

Andy was the only one to speak though, “Nice to meet you.” 

The doctor nodded, “You as well.” Then he turned to Pete, “May I speak to you in the hall please?”

Pete tensed and looked over his shoulder at Andy, who nodded at him to go ahead. He would look after Patrick for him. He started to follow the doctor out of the room but stopped to turn and look at Patrick one more time. He was in another whispery conversation with Joe.

Once in the hall, the doctor turned to Pete, “Patrick has made some substantial progress in just this past week. We contacted the medical offices in Chicago and acquired Patrick’s medical file.” Pete got more tense. What if Patrick’s father had somehow found out that he was free? 

“From the records we have he was very healthy as a child. Understandably his record stops before his thirteenth birthday.” Pete nodded. He hadn’t expected there to be anything.

“Our tests over the last week have shown that other than the physical injuries and malnourishment, he is healthy.” Pete let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding at that news. Healthy. 

“And, I’m going to sign off on Patrick’s psychiatric check. Having seen him when he came in and comparing it to how he is...well…that is quite an accomplishment. As soon as Patrick can get to a healthy weight he can be discharged.” Pete almost cried tears of joy at that. Patrick could finally get out of the hospital. He wouldn’t have to be tested every day. He could eat food that didn’t taste like fancy cardboard.

Pete was on cloud nine, it must have shown because while he was wrapped up in his head, the doctor said something else. Something that made Pete freeze.

“Mr. Wentz…I’m sorry to tell you this, but when Patrick is released, he will be sent to an omega shelter. The laws don’t allow for an omega to check themselves out of a hospital. They need to be checked out by their legal guardian or transferred to a shelter where they can find an alpha for them. Patrick was disowned by his parents so that leaves him with the shelter or an alpha with ownership papers.”

Pete felt like he was going to explode. The thought of Patrick being in one of those places…well it pissed him off. He knew what happened in some of those places. Sometimes they would be raided by gangs or mobs of alphas looking for a slave or toy to kidnap and torture.

He couldn’t let Patrick go to a place like that. What if he was Patrick’s guardian? He desperately wanted to be the omega’s alpha, but he didn’t want to rush things. 

They had only met a couple weeks ago. He also wasn’t sure if Patrick would be okay with it. He did say that he like Pete too, but he just got out of hell. He might not be ready to live with another alpha. 

Pete never thought about where Patrick would go when he was released. He hadn’t thought it would happen so soon and he had been so distracted falling for the omega that it hadn't crossed his mind. But he knew he had to protect him. He was attached to the omega. He wanted to be with him always. Patrick could live with him and Andy and Joe.

“Is there any way I could sign him out?” It couldn’t hurt to ask.

The doctor didn’t even seem surprised by his question, “If you assume the legal responsibility of him and sign some documents that say he belongs to you.”

Pete flinched at the last part, the idea of owning Patrick left a bad taste in his mouth. He didn’t want to own him. He knows that omegas don’t have many rights but the idea that they needed an owner…even if the alpha that they belonged to was their mate…that was beyond horrible.

He remembered Andy filing some legal forms a little while after he met Joe. He never realized before, but this must’ve been what it was. Andy had filed for ownership of Joe. He wasn't entirely shocked. They still seemed happy. Andy never treated Joe like property. He treated him like his mate. 

Maybe it would be okay if he just pretended the forms were something else…anything else…anything but ownership papers.

“Can I get those forms? I don’t know for sure that I’ll do it but…I need to talk to Patrick first.”

“Talk to him soon, he’s getting better every day, it won’t be long before he’s ready to be released. I’ll bring the forms in tomorrow evening. But just so you know, I don't like this either, but I do believe he would be safer and happier with someone like you.”

Pete nodded and fell back against the wall outside Patrick’s room. He needed to talk to Patrick and find out if he wanted any of this. He needed to talk to Andy and find out if he thought this was a good idea. Taking in Patrick would affect him too. Andy is the pack alpha, he would have another member that he had to think about. 

Maybe he should ask Joe how he feels about it. Joe would probably be able to talk to Patrick and make sure he was comfortable with things. Pete knew Patrick wouldn’t lie about being comfortable, but he didn’t want Patrick to feel pressured.

Pete had a lot to think about, Patrick was getting better every day and could be released from the hospital soon, but he couldn’t be released on his own, and now Pete might become Patrick’s owner.

He had some decisions to make.


	16. You Mean Other Stuff Like Panic! at the Disco?

When Pete walked back into the room and saw Patrick cuddling up to Joe and smiling at some story that Andy was telling, he knew.

He knew he needed Patrick. 

He knew he wanted to protect him.

He knew he wanted to be Patrick’s mate.

But he didn’t want to be an owner.

He new that the paperwork wouldn’t change his mind about how he felt about Patrick. But what if it changed Patrick’s mind? Patrick had said he liked Pete too. But there is no way Patrick would be okay with belonging to somebody else. 

Patrick looked so peaceful, calm, happy even right now. Pete decided to hold off on asking him about the ownership thing. He would feel better after he talked to Andy anyway.

The four of them had spent lunch together, and after Andy and Joe left because they needed to go to work, promising to come back tomorrow.

Pete went along with them to go home and shower.

 

Patrick was much calmer today when Pete left than he had been. He knew Pete would be coming back. So would Andy and Joe. Patrick was relieved when he finally met them. Not that he didn’t like having Pete to himself, because he did, he really did. But it was nice to see some different faces. 

When he was tortured in the basement the only person he ever saw was his owner. So seeing new faces was refreshing? He didn’t know quite how to describe it, but the last time he felt this way was when he was twelve. 

The day before he turned thirteen.

He was hanging out with Brendon and Gerard in their tree house, reading comic books. Friends. He didn’t realize how much he missed having friends until he met Joe and Andy. He couldn’t help but wonder what happened to them. What did they present as? He knew their parents would’ve reacted a lot calmer than his own father did. He just hoped they were safe and happy with whatever their lives were now.

Pete went home and showered and when he got out he started pacing. The knowledge he had gained earlier starting to really weigh on him. So he decided he better talk to Andy now before he loses all of his nerve. He knew Andy and Joe were working but this was too important.

Pete walked down to the record store and looked around for his friends. There weren’t many customers, just two beta women looking through some records at the other side of the store. 

He saw Andy sitting behind the register reading a book, seriously he reads more than anyone. Joe was sitting on the floor in front of a Jukebox listening to Smashmouth. His head banging was moving his hair around like a dog shaking itself dry.

He walked up to Andy, who looked a little worried when he saw Pete. 

“What are you doing here? I figured you would be back with Patrick by now?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Everything okay?”

“Patrick’s doctor…he said that Patrick can only…he can only be checked out of the hospital by…by an owner or he gets sent to an omega shelter when he’s discharged.”

Andy didn’t even blink at this. He already knew about that law. When he had found Joe, he took him to the hospital just to make sure he was healthy, and they wouldn’t let him leave with Andy until he signed the proper forms. Ownership forms that legally said Joe was his. He didn’t like it. He was beyond angry at the law for it but when he told Joe his options, the omega jumped at the idea. He wanted nothing more than to be with Andy. He was the first alpha who treated him kindly. 

Andy understood why Pete was upset but this morning when he met Patrick, he realized that the omega was a lot stronger than he initially looked. He was shy and definitely introverted, but most omegas are,especially the ones having gone through abuse. Andy didn’t think Patrick would have a problem with being Pete's.

Patrick didn’t flinch at every little thing, he talked to Joe as if he had known him for decades and he even smiled and laughed a story that Andy had told him. His body might be fragile right now but that will heal. His mind, although reserved and scared from being tortured would also heal over time. Not completely. But he hadn’t totally withdrawn into himself. He was still functioning and seemingly enjoying himself when his nerves let him.

“Have you talked to him yet?”

“No. I wanted to see you first. What do you think? I don’t want to scare him or upset him. The whole ‘owning’ part is something that I just can’t see around. What if I ask and he hates me?”

“Patrick isn’t going to hate you. But you can’t wait until the last minute to talk to him about it. He needs to be able to think this through for himself before the decision has to be made. And besides, Joe didn’t react badly, he was actually really happy about it.” Andy said lowering his voice as a few more customers were coming into the store.

“Maybe, so Joe was really okay with everything?” They both looked over at Joe who was pressing his face against the glass of the jukebox trying to find another song. 

Joe looked over at the alphas when he felt their gazes and smiled, “Hiya Petey, wacha do—”. All of a sudden Joe stopped talking and scurried over behind the counter to kneel beside Andy when he saw a couple of alphas had come into the store. 

Pete looked at the other alphas and then to Andy for an explanation, who glanced down at Joe and started running his fingers through his hair. 

“Those two come in here every so often and make comments and glare at Joe. They seem to think its improper to have an omega in a place of business without him being naked on a leash.” Andy deadpanned.

Joe, who had his eyes closed and was pressing his head into Andy’s leg, lightly laughed. Only loud enough that Pete and Andy heard it.

“Why not kick them out? Ban them from coming in here?” Pete was getting agitated now. But Andy remained calm as usual. 

“With what reason? It isn’t legally a crime to harass omegas. Besides, if I report them, they could make up anything about Joe. Accuse him of something that could get him in trouble.”

Pete nodded. He didn’t like it but Andy and Joe seemed calm so he figured he should tone it down a bit.

“Can I ask him?” Pete looked directly at Andy, wanting to ask Joe about the ownership thing but not if it would upset him. Joe had opened his eyes when he heard Pete’s question and looked up at the alphas. He didn’t know what they were talking about but he couldn’t imagine why Pete would be afraid to ask him something.

Andy just smiled and nodded, looking down at Joe.

“Joe, um…when Andy…when he…found you and filled out some papers for…”

“Ownership?” Joe guessed. He had a feeling that’s where it was going and judging by Pete’s face, he was right.

Pete nodded and looked unsurely between the two of them.

Joe didn't hesitate, “I’m happy that I belong to Andy. It means that nobody else could ever get me or hurt me again. I don’t see him as an owner. I love him. He’s my mate, my alpha.” Joe looked up at Andy and they stared at each other for a moment. “Patrick will be okay with it. Because if he feels a fraction of the same thing that I feel for Andy, he won’t want to be anywhere else.”

Andy knelt down next to his omega and pulled him to his chest only leaning back enough to kiss every part of Joe’s face he could reach.

Pete watched on in mild amusement. Slightly glad he wouldn’t be sleeping at home tonight. He saw the look they gave each other as Andy moved to stand up. They would be finishing this later in their bedroom. There’s no way he would get any rest if he had to listen to it.

Joe remained on his knees next to Andy and slightly bowed his head when the other alphas walked by on their way out. He knew Andy would never tell him to kneel like this. It was never Andy's idea for him to kneel in the first place. But Joe knew what could happen if they came in and he wasn't behaving in a way accepted by society. 

They could report him for anything they wanted and they could report Andy for not controlling his omega in public. He didn't want Andy to get in trouble and he didn't mind kneeling because it meant he was at the perfect height to tease his alpha all he wanted.

“Alright, I’ll talk to Patrick tonight.” Pete said as he turned to leave.

“Ooh wait, I have something for you to take to Patrick.” Joe dug into his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out an ipod and a pair of earbuds leaning up to reach over the counter and hand it to Pete. “It has some of our music on it because apparently you haven’t played him any of it yet and some other stuff that I think he’ll enjoy.”

Pete smiled at the omega, “You mean other stuff like Panic! At the Disco?” 

Joe had been obsessed with that band since they played together at a small club a couple of years ago. They were good friends and even talked about touring together at some point.

Joe grinned mischievously and Pete knew he was right. 

He said goodbye to his friends and started walking back to his car, feeling a lot better about the conversation he would soon be having with Patrick.


	17. Be My Alpha

Patrick was getting a bit nervous when Pete wasn’t back at his usual time so when he did finally see the alpha walking into his room he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Pete seemed to notice this right away, “Sorry I’m late, I was talking to Joe and Andy for a bit.”

“S’alright. I really liked meeting them.”

“They liked meeting you too. Actually, Joe gave me a present for you.”

Patrick perked up at that, “What is it?” He had only just met the omega, but Joe seemed to know him pretty well already.

“Here.” Pete said handing over the ipod. “It’s got our music and some stuff that Joe likes on there.”

Patrick was beyond happy about this. He was finally gonna hear their music. And Joe seemed to be similar to himself in more ways than one so he figured anything Joe liked he would enjoy too. The bonus is that when Pete wasn’t here or when Pete was sleeping, he could have something to fill the silence. 

He smiled up at Pete, “This is perfect.” He started scrolling through the ipod looking at Joe’s selection.

Pete watched him intently. Patrick’s smile just proves to Pete that the omega is far too good for this world.

He knew he should talk to Patrick sooner rather than later, he just couldn’t seem to figure out how. The omega was so happy right now, what if this conversation upset him?

“Patrick,” he started, the omega looked up at him, still smiling, “Yeah Pete?”, oh boy this is gonna be hard. “Um, I want to talk to you about what you’re gonna do when it’s time for you leave the hospital.”

Patrick looked a bit confused, not really sure where Pete was going with this. But he nodded for Pete to continue, setting the ipod down on his lap to let the alpha know he had his full attention.

Pete noticed this, he also noticed that Patrick didn’t seem nervous yet, just curious and confused. He figured giving the information in pieces would be better, and easier for Patrick to process.

“Yesterday, when your doctor wanted to talk to me, he said that as soon as you’re at a healthy weight you’ll be discharged from the hospital.”

Patrick nodded. That made sense. He didn’t expect to stay in the hospital longer than that. He still didn’t understand where Pete was going with this.

“Well, because you’re…I mean…the laws… they don’t let omegas get discharged by themselves.”

Patrick had to admit this didn’t surprise him. He knew that omegas didn’t have many rights. 

“They…um…they can only by checked out by…by their owners…or…or they get sent to a shelter.” Pete flinched at his own words. He hated himself for this. But when he looked up at Patrick, the omega’s expression was unreadable.

Patrick wasn’t sure how to feel. His last owner was dead, thankfully. And his parents, well, his father had sold him. So he didn’t technically have an owner. Would that mean he had to go to a shelter? He hoped not. He saw the horrible news stories about those places when he was a kid. He didn’t want to go to one of those. 

He knew this meant that he needed an owner, as much as he hated the idea. He knew not all alphas were abusive to their omegas. He just hadn’t seen that very often. Today with Joe and Andy was a first for him. He had never seen an alpha so attentive and responsive to his omega. Joe didn’t ask for permission to speak, Andy didn’t yell about respect or hit him when Joe made eye contact. 

Then Patrick came to a realization…Andy technically owned Joe, and Andy treated Joe a lot like Pete had been treating Patrick. Gentle, kind, patient. 

Hell, if Patrick had to have an owner to get out of the hospital, he hoped it would be someone like Andy or Pete. Pete. There’s a thought. Pete as his owner would be good. He felt safe with Pete, and he had a increasingly intense crush on the alpha. He also knew that the alpha liked him back. So maybe it would work. 

He had noticed the way that Pete would flinch or look away whenever someone said the word ‘owner’. Maybe Pete wouldn’t like the idea. He figured now would be a good time to at least ask the alpha.

Pete had been staring at Patrick waiting for him to say something or react, but he hadn’t moved. If it weren’t for his chest expanding when he breathed, he would’ve checked for a pulse. 

Patrick snapped his head up and looked up at Pete, startling the alpha a bit. 

“Can I ask you something Pete?”

“Of course.”

“Would you…I mean you don’t have to. You can say no if…if you want to but…would you…would you be my…my owner?”

Pete was stunned. Of all the ways he saw this conversation playing out, this was not one of them. He had expected the omega to withdraw and get scared or angry but not for him to come right out and ask what Pete had been so paranoid about.

“Patrick, I would love to be your…that. I just don’t like the idea of being an owner.”

“I know. But I trust you. I know that owning me won’t mean the same to you that it did to my last owner. I know you won’t hurt me. If it makes you more comfortable, we can call it something else. I’d like to call you my alpha.”

Patrick blushed as he whispered the last part. He already told Pete that he liked him, but this was different. This was very different. 

Pete himself blushed. Of course, he wanted to be Patrick’s alpha. He just couldn’t believe Patrick was so calm about everything.

“Are you sure? We don’t have to rush into anything. You could take a few days to think about it and then—”

“Pete.”

“Yeah?”

“I want you to be my alpha. I talked to Joe earlier and the way he talked about Andy…I want that too. I know you’ll be a great alpha. Just take some things slow okay. There are certain things that will take some time for me to get used to.”

“We’ll go at your pace. It doesn’t even have to be a relationship if you don’t want it to be.”

Patrick chuckled, “I told you, I like you. Besides I imprinted on you like a week ago. I want a relationship with you, just…let’s take that slow too.”

“Anything you want.”

Patrick smiled, more to himself this time. For the first time in years, he was getting the things he wanted. The way he wanted them. An alpha that wouldn’t beat or rape him, wouldn’t starve or torture him for fun. An alpha whose touch wouldn’t hurt, one who would protect him and give him cuddles whenever he wanted. Things were looking up for Patrick.

He looked up at Pete and reached out to grab the alpha’s wrist. He pulled his arm a bit, just enough for Pete to know what he wanted. Pete slid into the bed next to Patrick and wrapped his arms around the omega. His omega. It wasn’t official yet, but that wasn’t gonna stop him.

Patrick nuzzled Pete’s neck a bit, finally resting his face on his chest

Pete sighed in relief. This really couldn’t have gone better in his opinion.


	18. I'm Not That Good

The next day Andy and Joe were visiting on their lunch break, when the doctor brought in the ownership forms for Pete. 

“I trust you’ve come to a decision Mr. Wentz?”

Pete looked over to Patrick, who smiled and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah were gonna do it.”

“Yes!” Joe threw his arms up in excitement and smothered Patrick in a tight hug. “Finally!” Joe was super excited to have another omega in the pack. He loved Andy and Pete, and he really didn’t mind that they were alphas, but it was nice to have someone more like himself to hang out with.

“Patrick, are you in agreement too?” The doctor looked as if he hadn’t expected much of an answer, but Patrick had come a long way in the past week.

“I want Pete to be my alpha. I want to be with him.”

Pete had the biggest smile on his face, he felt a bit of pride well up in his chest.

The doctor looked proud too. Not very many of his patients make out as well as Patrick had. He got rescued and now he was getting not just an alpha but a pack. He had seen the way Pete treated the omega since he was brought in. He knew that the alpha would take care of Patrick when they left.

“Well then, here are the forms, fill them out and sign them. You can turn them in to the reception desk when you’re done.” 

When the doctor left Pete turned to Andy, silently asking for help. He knew filling out forms wasn’t a big deal but he wanted to make sure this went the way it was supposed to.  


“Let me see them.” Andy took the papers and read through them. Handing them back to Pete when he was done. 

“They’re the standard forms, the first one just needs your information, the second one is Patrick’s information, and then the last forms need your signature for legal responsibility and then the ownership certificate.”

Pete flinched again at ‘ownership’ but nodded at stared at the forms in his hands.

“Hey,” Patrick said as he rested his hand on Pete’s, “let’s do this.”

Pete nodded and began filling out the forms as while Joe jabbered on about what he and Patrick were gonna do when he finally moved in with them and out of the hospital.

When Pete handed the forms to the receptionist, she made a copy for Pete and submitted the others to process and filing. It was official. Patrick belonged to Pete now.

To be honest the ownership documents hadn’t really changed anything between him and Patrick. He didn’t feel like an owner, Patrick didn’t feel like he had with his last owner, or his father. 

Over the next few days Pete had brought in some of Andy’s books for Patrick to read. He went through them fast. Not much to do in a hospital, I guess. 

Pete and Patrick had gotten much closer. They had started scenting each other more too. Pete liked the idea that the omega smelled like him. It’s like his instincts knew that eventually they would mate for real and just wanted to get a head start. 

Patrick liked it because the alphas scent made him feel calm and safe, just like it had the night Pete left his sweatshirt. 

Today though, Pete had another surprise. He decided to bring in one of their guitars to try and get Patrick to play something. Patrick had mentioned before that he could play, even though it had been years he thought he might like to pick it up again.

He walked into Patrick’s room one evening with the guitar behind hidden behind his back.

“Patrick, close your eyes.” The omega obeyed instantly, tilting his head to the side as his mind tried to figure out what his alpha could possibly be up to now.

Pete laid the guitar on Patrick’s lap and stepped back, “Okay, open.”

Patrick looked down and gasped. He had not expected this. 

“Please play me something.” Pete gave him puppy dog eyes that had Patrick laughing a bit.

Patrick picked up the guitar, worried that he might not remember how to play, and tuned it a bit before going into a slow strumming, which eventually turned into The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. 

The guitar was amazing but when Patrick started softly singing, Pete froze, his jaw was hanging open and he stared not blinking as Patrick went through the song. 

“You didn’t tell me you could sing like that!”

“I’m not that good.”

“You’re crazy! You’re amazing!”

Patrick blushed but didn’t argue anymore.

This happened a lot over the next few days. Pete would beg Patrick to sing, a challenge that was getting easier with every passing moment. 

Patrick loved singing, but the only people who ever told him he was good besides Pete was his mother, Brendon and Gerard. He had always brushed it off as his friends being nice. He had used singing in his past as a way to comfort himself, he never thought other people would like it.

Turns out, when Patrick was singing, he wasn’t as nervous as he was when he was just talking. Pete noticed this first, he didn’t point it out, afraid that if he did, the omega would stop.

Time skip... 

It had been exactly 27 days since Patrick was brought in to the hospital. His physical wounds were mostly healing now, he had a slight limp when he walked, but the doctor said that nerves took longer to heal, he would be okay, and he was finally at a healthy weight. 

This was the day Patrick was told he was being released.


	19. Welcome Home Trick

When Pete found out that Patrick was being released, he called Andy and had him bring some of Pete’s clothes. He didn’t want Patrick to have to go home in a hospital gown. He should really take the omega shopping when he can walk better. As much as he liked seeing Patrick in his clothes, they were just too big on the little omega.

When Andy and Joe showed up with the clothes, Joe all but dragged Patrick into the bathroom to help him get changed while the alphas waited by the door. He was extremely excited about Patrick coming to live with them.

Pete was thankful, he wanted to talk to Andy about Patrick. He hadn’t really talked about what it would mean for them as a pack yet.

“Andy,” Pete started, “Are you sure this is okay? I mean, with you being our alpha and all, you’re taking responsibility for him too.”

Andy just smiled. Of course, Pete was worried. Pete was always worried about something.

“I want you to listen to me Pete. I have no problem with Patrick becoming part of our pack. He’ll fit in perfectly with us. And Joe is already attached to him…Patrick is already in the pack as far as I’m concerned.” He tried to sound as reassuring as possible.

Pete just stared at the other alpha for a moment. He really was lucky. He had a pack, with an alpha that was calmer than a monk, a fiery omega best friend, and a soon to be omega mate that was absolutely perfect. He pulled Andy in for a hug, who, hugged him back just as tightly.

“Get a room.” 

The two alphas laughed and pulled apart, looking over at Joe and Patrick.

“Ready to go?”

Patrick looked around and nodded. He was definitely ready to go. The idea of getting out of here, getting to live with Pete and being a part of a pack with Joe and Andy. Not to mention that he wouldn’t need to eat hospital food anymore, he wouldn’t have to answer the nurses millions of repetitive questions.

As they walked to reception for Pete to sign the discharge papers, Pete couldn’t help but stare at Patrick wearing his clothes. He looked absolutely adorable if Pete does say so himself. 

Pete signed all the release forms and when he was done, he looked at Patrick, “Well, that’s it.”

Patrick laid his head on Pete’s shoulder, looked up at him and said, “I’m yours now Petey.”

Pete’s heart fluttered at that as he pulled Patrick close and kissed his hair saying, “All mine. And I’m yours.”

Over the past few weeks, Pete had gotten more comfortable with the whole ‘ownership’ thing. He still didn’t like the idea of anyone owning Patrick, even if it was him that was the ‘owner’. He didn’t call himself an owner, he didn’t think of himself that way, and thankfully neither did Patrick. 

“Come on Tricky, let’s go home.” Patrick blushed and hid his face in Pete’s chest at the nickname. He loved that Pete gave him a nickname. It made him feel more wanted, but he couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit of sadness. Brendon and Gerard had always called him that when they were kids.

Patrick smiled and looked up at Pete to nod his head. The four of them walked out of the hospital to get in Pete’s car. The ride home was interesting. Patrick was looking in awe at just about everything. He hadn’t really ever seen LA, only getting glimpses from his ambulance ride and the view from his hospital window.

They arrived home quickly. Home. His new home. The word almost seemed foreign to him. Like he couldn’t believe he could actually call someplace “home.”

When they got to the apartment and opened the door, they all just stopped for a moment. Everything felt a bit surreal.

Patrick looked around, it was mostly what he expected. There were guitars on stands in the corner, there was a cozy looking couch with two fluffy chairs at each end. There were notebooks scattered on the table and shelves, probably for songs, Patrick thought.

Joe was the first one inside, grabbing Patrick’s hand, he started pulling him through the apartment, pointing out different things and showing him where things are.

Andy and Pete just watched in amusement and sat down on the couch to relax for a moment. They did it, Patrick was finally home.

“This is mine and Andy’s room, and this room is where we rehearse and record stuff. We plan on making an album as soon as we find a singer, Pete’s been singing and he really, I mean really, doesn’t like it. He prefers doing backing vocals rather than the lead.”

Patrick thought about this for a minute, he did like to sing, maybe they would let him do it. He probably would if they asked him too. Pete said he liked his voice, but he didn’t think he was good enough to be in a band. He might ruin their chances at getting a record deal or something.

Joe pulled Patrick into Pete’s bedroom. “This is Pete’s room. Well, its also yours now. Of course, if you don’t want to sleep int the same room I’m sure Pete would sleep on the couch.”

“No, no its okay. He slept in my bed with me at the hospital, I like having him close.”

Joe started grinning, he was relieved to hear that. Joe could tell from the first week that Pete had imprinted on Patrick. He knew Pete wanted to be with Patrick, and to hear that the other omega felt the same was reassuring because now he didn’t have to worry about Pete getting hurt.

“By the way, Pete is very unorganized.” Joe gestured around the room. Pete had clothes and records and lord knows what else scattered around his floor. “So, if you want a clean room, you’re either gonna have to do it or somehow convince Pete to do it.”

Patrick laughed. He didn’t mind the idea of cleaning, he was living here for free, he might as well do his part. But when he thought about it, he knew that Pete wouldn’t say no if he asked him to clean, or at least help Patrick clean.”

When Joe finished his tour, they found themselves all in the living room. Andy and Pete were sitting on the couch and Joe had pulled Patrick down onto a chair, so they were both squished together on it. 

“So, what’s for dinner?” Joe asked looking around at each of them.

They ended up deciding on pasta. Joe did most of the cooking in their house. It really didn’t have anything to do with him being an omega, he just liked cooking. Besides, Pete was too impatient to cook meals not made in a microwave and Andy just never enjoyed it. He would cook when Joe didn’t want to, or when he was sick. Joe saw it as a way to relax.

Joe had pulled Patrick along with him when he went to start cooking. He wanted to spend more time with the omega. He knew he would have plenty of time to get to know him now that Patrick was here for good, but he was just so excited about having another omega in the house that he couldn’t wait.

The two of them talked some more while Joe cooked. Patrick offered to help but Joe insisted that he just sit and relax.

After dinner, they went to their respective rooms, it had been a long day and they all needed some rest.

“Once you can walk without being in pain, we’re going shopping. I’ll clear out half my closet and dresser, we can share those, that way our scents will mix. You can sleep on whichever side you want. And I promise, I will get our room organized. It might take a while, I was never good at organizing…”

Pete had started rambling now.

“Pete.”

“Yeah?”

“Breath. We can do all of that tomorrow. For now, let’s go to bed.”

Pete smiled at his omega. “Okay.”

They changed out of their clothes. Patrick cuddled up to the alpha as soon as he laid down. He hadn’t felt this happy in a long time. 

Pete and Patrick were almost asleep when they heard moaning and grunts coming from the room next to theirs. He really should’ve warned Patrick about Andy and Joe’s noisy sex, but Patrick just sighed and nuzzled his face in Pete’s neck.

“Well, welcome home Trick.”


	20. He Looks As Good As He Sounds

Time Skip

 

It had been about a week since Patrick left the hospital. He’s been spending most of his time hanging out with Joe, battling it out in videogames and listening to and even playing some music. He hasn’t told Joe that he sings yet. It hasn’t come up and he doesn’t want to embarrass himself, despite what Pete had told him.

He hasn’t left the apartment yet, when Andy and Joe go to work, he takes some time for himself. Usually listening to the ipod Joe had given him or sitting next to Pete and listening while he works on new songs.

He had improved a lot in the past week, his limp was almost gone, he was still sore, but he didn’t classify it as pain anymore. 

Today he was sitting on his and Pete’s bed listening to his ipod. He’s got most of the songs on it memorized already. Plus, Joe had been right, he likes just about everything on it. Especially Panic! at the Disco. He and Joe had bonded over their interest in the band’s music. 

They’re currently trying to find a way to convince Andy and Pete to take them to one of their shows. Not that they would say no to going, they had taken Joe to clubs with them before but only certain ones. Not all clubs allowed omegas inside. And next to none of them had any rules regarding the treatment of omegas. It was dangerous for omegas to go to clubs. 

This scared Patrick a bit, he almost backed out from the idea, but Joe was desperate to see them again. Apparently, they were good friends. This didn’t surprise Patrick, he figured a lot of the local bands would know each other or at least be aware of each other. 

Panic! didn’t have an album out yet either, but they had shared copies of their demos with their friends, that’s how Joe had gotten copies of their songs.

Patrick didn’t know much about them, just that according to Joe, the lead singer is an omega, and “he looks as good as he sounds.”

He looked around the room. Their room. He was bored and he didn’t have anything to do right now, maybe he should get a head start on cleaning up a bit. Pete had been talking about taking Patrick shopping this weekend to get some clothes that fit him, and he would need somewhere to put them.

Pete was in the living room working on lyrics, Joe and Andy were at work for at least another half hour and then they would all be having dinner.

Patrick pulled out his headphones and turned the ipod off as he got up and started organizing and cleaning. 

He wasn’t sure when, but at one point he began to sing the songs that he had memorized from the ipod. He got really into it, not really paying attention to anything besides cleaning. It’s because of this that he didn’t notice when Pete sat down in the hallway outside of their bedroom door. He didn’t notice when Andy and Joe had joined him. 

What he did notice is that when he finally got their room mostly done, he had stopped singing only to have the void filled with clapping and whistles. He jumped at the noises and spun on his heel. 

Pete and Joe were sitting on the floor just outside the doorway and Andy was standing behind them. They were all staring at Patrick, big smiles on their faces. Patrick really wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t mad that they had been listening, he was a bit shocked though. 

Pete had said that he liked his voice when he sang for him in the hospital but that still didn’t convince him that he sounded good. Pete was a bit biased anyway. Andy and Joe had just been clapping too, so they either liked his voice or were trying to be nice. Patrick really didn’t think he sounded all that good, definitely not good enough to elicit applause.

Joe interrupted his train of thought, “How come you didn’t mention that you sing?”

Patrick sighed and looked down, of course Joe would ask that.

“I just…I’m not all that good, I really only do it to pass the time or to help me with my anxiety.”

“Not all that good? Are you insane? You sound incredible!”

“But Joe, I’m really not that—”

“Patrick.”

“But-”

“YOU ARE AMAZING!”

Patrick let out another sigh when he realized that convincing Joe he wasn’t as good as he thinks he is would be a lost cause. Arguing with the other omega seemed kind of pointless, especially when he knew Pete agreed with Joe already.

“You were right Pete, he sounds flawless.” Andy smiled and looked down at the other alpha. Every day since the day he first heard him, his friend had told him about how beautiful Patrick could sing.

“You guys knew he sang and didn’t tell me?” Joe looked a bit hurt, but mostly just annoyed.

“We didn’t want you harassing him to sing baby.” Andy said in a gentle voice. It worked, Joe calmed a bit and leaned back against Andy’s legs. 

Then he got an idea.

The alphas knew Joe had thought of something by the look on his face. The omega was staring at Patrick with a big grin.

“Do you wanna be the lead singer in our band?” Joe looked hopeful.

Pete hadn’t asked Patrick this yet because he didn’t want the omega to feel pressure to say yes.

“You don’t have to answer that right now Patrick. And you can absolutely say ‘no’ if you don’t want too. Don’t feel like you have to say ‘yes’. Anything you decide is perfectly alright” Andy interjected. He looked down at the others and grabbed Joe’s arm to pull him up.

“C’mon baby, let them talk this out alone.”

Joe began to protest but Andy just kept walking him back out into the living room. He knew Joe didn’t mean anything by asking Patrick to join the band. But he could see and feel how nervous Patrick got when the question was asked.

When they were gone, Pete scooted further into their room and looked up at Patrick. The omega looked a lot calmer now that they were alone.

Patrick sat on the floor in front a Pete, close enough that their knees were touching. He stared at their laps for a moment and then reached out to grab one of Pete’s wrists. He had been doing this a lot more recently, it really did help him feel like he had some sort of control. The steady rhythm of Pete’s pulse was kind of like an anchor for Patrick. It reminded him that everything wasn’t all just a dream.

“So, you guys want me to join your band?”

“Yes but only if you want to. Whether you believe it or not, we actually really love your voice, but this is your decision. Like Andy said, you don’t need to answer right now.”

“I’d like to think about it for a bit.” Patrick sounded and looked hesitant, almost like he wasn’t sure if that response was okay.

“That sounds like a perfect idea.” Pete smiled reassuringly at the omega.

It had calmed Patrick, but now he had some serious thinking to do.

After dinner they were all sitting in the living room again watching tv. Patrick was sitting in the middle of the couch, Pete on one side and Andy on the other. Joe was sitting on the floor between Andy’s legs while his alpha played with his hair. Andy was really just trying to distract Joe so that he wouldn't pester Patrick for an answer.

Joe kept glancing over at Patrick, Andy tried to cover his eyes by flipping his hair over his face. 

Patrick had been thinking about what he wanted to do. He wanted to join a band since he was a kid but back then he figured he would be a drummer. Brendon and Gerard were the ones that he thought could sing great. Even though they had also told him they liked his voice. But that was over six years ago.

He wanted to join the band. He figured if they liked him enough to ask then it was fine for now. They could always replace him with a better singer when they found one. He didn’t like the idea of being replaced but he just couldn’t imagine them wanting to keep him in the band if they found someone better. He decided he would say yes. He really did want to join. He just had to ignore the part of his mind trying to talk him out of it. He wanted to tell them now before he lost his nerve.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I-I want to join the band.”

Joe jumped up before he even finished talking and got into the other omega’s lap, giving him a bear hug. Andy just smiled and shook his head at his omega.

Patrick had initially hugged Joe back but now the hug was getting a bit tight. Patrick was still a bit sore in a few places, so he turned to the alpha next to him, “Uh…Petey? Help?”

Pete chuckled and stood up and started prying Joe away and handing the omega off to Andy and pulling Patrick close when he sat back down.

“You sure Trick?” Pete was beyond happy about his decision but he wanted to make sure the omega really wanted it too.

“Yeah. I want to do this.”


	21. Scent Drunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello to anybody reading this, i really hadn't expected anyone to like it. This is the first time i ever actually written or posted a fanfiction before. Usually they just stay in my head. So thank you very much.  
> I don't know how long this story will be but i have a lot of ideas so it'll probably be pretty long and the story will not progress very fast and the lengths of each chapter may vary because i usually just write a new chapter when i get anxious but i will continue to update as frequently as i can.  
> so um i guess that's all, thank you again for reading this, hope you have a good day or night or morning.

It had been three days since Patrick agreed to join the band. He had been listening to the music they had already recorded a lot to try and learn it as best he could. Pete and Joe had even been teaching him how to play some of the songs on guitar.

Joe would always request (more like beg) Patrick to sing when they practiced. He hadn’t said no yet. It always made him feel good when they complimented his voice. Even if he didn’t always believe it.

Today was Saturday and they were going shopping. Patrick hadn’t minded wearing Pete’s clothes, he actually really enjoyed it. The alpha’s scent was calming and made him feel safe. He knew he needed his own though, especially since Pete’s were way too big, looking like a kid playing dress up with their parent’s clothes.

Andy and Joe were coming too. Joe was coming because it had been months since he went shopping with another omega. He had gone plenty with Andy and Pete, and he loved it, but there was something about being in an omega’s company that made him feel more balanced.

Pete wasn’t afraid of other alphas and wouldn’t hesitate to stick up for Patrick and Joe no matter what. But that didn’t mean he was comfortable with it. Pete had been worried all morning about taking Patrick out in public. Mostly because he knew that most people, especially the majority of alphas saw omegas as property, and had no respect for them.

He knew Patrick needed clothes, he had put this off long enough. They were getting ready to leave when his panic really started to set in. He tried to hide it, the omegas didn’t seem to notice his anxiety, if they did notice they hadn’t said anything.

Andy had originally planned on staying home, letting Pete take the omegas on his own, but when he saw the anxious look on Pete’s face, he changed his mind. He knew Pete could handle it on his own, but that doesn't mean he should have to. Pete had taken Joe shopping a bunch of times. But Joe was a claimed omega. He had Andy’s mark on his mating gland. Patrick was his legally, but there was nothing to let strangers know this, other than Pete’s scent covering him. Even then it isn’t as strong as would be if they were mated.

Pete gave a grateful look to Andy, trying to convey his thanks through his eyes. Andy just smiled and started leading them out to their car.

 

The ride to the mall was uneventful, Joe rattling off all the things he thought Patrick needed. Patrick just nodded along, he could tell Pete was anxious. He didn't want to say anything because Pete seemed to be in his head since they left the apartment. He figured he needed time to think. 

Andy was driving and Pete was sitting up front with him staring straight ahead at the road, too wrapped up in his head to notice the passing scenery. Andy had to shake him a bit to snap him out of his thoughts when they parked.

“We’re here.” Before anybody could get out, he turned around to face the omegas and said, “Alright you two, stay close to us and no wondering off. If you want to go anywhere tell one of us first and we’ll take you.”

Joe nodded and leaned up to kiss his alpha, “You got it superman.” Andy just rolled his eyes.

Patrick was a bit surprised, this was the first time he’d heard Andy give an order since the day he met him. It wasn’t said in an alpha voice, but Patrick didn’t think it needed to be.

He wouldn’t be disobedient. Not that he was afraid of Andy, he knew the alpha wouldn’t hurt him, but he was nervous to be in public. He hadn’t been shopping since he was twelve with his mother.

When they got inside the main entrance Pete immediately put his arm over Patrick’s shoulders. The omega could tell how tense the alpha was, he felt that way too, the alpha must have sensed it because he pulled Patrick impossibly closer and nuzzled his head a bit. Just enough to freshen the scent on him.

Patrick tilted his head a bit to give him more contact and Pete took full advantage of this access.

Andy smiled and grabbed Joe’s hand, he remembered what it was like before he and Joe had mated. He would scent the omega every chance he got, even pulling him into dressing rooms, hallways and bathrooms to scent him when another alpha so much as looked at him.

There was something calming about being mated. He scent was permanently fused with Joe’s now and vice versa. He still scented him everyday because he could, and it strengthened the smell, but he didn’t feel the need to do it as often anymore.

The four of them walked around the mall, going into every store that caught Joe or Patrick’s attention. Pete and Andy carried the bags, Patrick and Joe walking in the space between them.

Patrick had gotten a few outfits that included soft sweaters and jeans.

There were numerous times that Andy had to hold tightly to Pete’s arm to stop him from tearing into other alphas who had said or looked in Patrick’s direction. There wasn’t anyone who confronted them head on but they could see the scowls and hear the words being said. Mostly about ‘keeping those omegas on a leash’ or it being ‘a waste of money to buy clothes for an omega’.

He had growled and pushed himself against Patrick every time. Patrick didn’t say anything, just leaned back into Pete, hoping that his scent would calm the alpha down a bit. Pete would tighten his arms around Patrick and scent his neck again. And again. He lost track of just how many times Pete had scented him today. Joe had found it all amusing. Taking every chance he could to tease Pete (in a loving way of course) about marking his territory.

They had seen a few other omegas out shopping, some with their alphas, like Pete and Andy, others as slaves or pets, brought along to carry things and what not. These were the ones that were usually kept from wearing clothes, forced to kneel or crawl by their owner’s legs.

Both Pete and Andy would avert their eyes and pull their omegas closer on instinct. They just couldn’t imagine treating Joe or Patrick like that.

To say Pete was relieved when they were done was an understatement. He had enjoyed himself, but this was stressful.

Pete was relieved when they were done, he had enjoyed himself, but this was stressful. 

When they got back home, Joe and Andy went to work for a couple hours and Patrick occupied himself with putting away his new clothes. Pete sat back on their bed and watched the omega move about. He had offered to help but the omega said he wanted to do it.

Pete saw this as a good sign. The omega was nesting, making his things just so in his new home. It was a sign that an omega was truly comfortable in their environment. He doubted if Patrick even realized what he was doing, but he thought it was cute.

It made Pete feel a lot better about earlier. He had been really grabby and probably ‘mother-henny’ towards Patrick while they were shopping. He still felt guilty though. 

“Trick, I’m sorry about how I acted when we were shopping. I probably should’ve been calmer or—”

Patrick knew the alpha felt bad, he had been stewing in guilt since they left the mall.

“No no no, hey don’t apologize, it’s really okay. I kind of liked you being protective. I never had an alpha be protective of me before I met you. It was nice.” Patrick looked up at the alpha, he hoped Pete knew that he meant it. The alpha still looked a bit nervous.

“Petey?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m yours. Okay? We are going to be mates eventually. Like I said before, I like you, more and more every second.” Patrick was blushing as he talked, but Pete looked like he was relaxing a lot, so he decided to keep going. “I really, I mean really like having your scent on me. I promise I’m not mad. Please believe me?”

Pete couldn’t believe how lucky he was to get Patrick as his mate. Even if it wasn’t official yet. That was something he and Patrick would need to talk about at a later date. He didn’t want to rush the omega, especially not after everything he had already been through.

Thankfully the alpha who had bought Patrick didn’t bite his mating gland. That would require some painful medical procedures to reverse. But he knew that Patrick had been raped, quite a lot by that monster. It made Pete feel sick to think about, but he needed to make sure he took this relationship slow, that’s what Patrick had asked him for. To take things slow. So that’s what he would do.

“I do Trick. I do believe you. And I’m yours.” He pulled Patrick in for a hug, for maybe the hundredth time that day, but neither of them minded.

 

Patrick and Joe were making dinner that night, Pete and Andy sat in the living room on the couch and talked.

“I don’t get it Andy, it’s like I couldn’t stop myself with him today, and it’s like I don’t want to.”

“You mean the scenting thing?”

“What else would I mean?” Pete said a bit harshly, Andy didn’t even blink at his tone. Just turned his body so he was facing Pete more.

“Don’t have that tone with me, I’m trying to help you.” It didn’t come out as a scold, Andy’s tone was actually very gentle, the same one he used when Joe was throwing a tantrum. “Did Patrick say something about it? Was he mad?”

Pete felt guilty for snapping at his friend. He didn’t mean it, he just looked at his lap and picked at his fingernails as he shook his head.

Andy reached over and tilted his head up, forcing Pete to meet his eyes. “I’m not mad at you Petey. Just tell me what happened.”

Pete loved Andy, he really did, even though they were both alphas Andy could make Pete feel like a small child getting in trouble by their mother or he could make him feel like an invincible superhero. He always seemed to know exactly how to talk to Pete in any situation.

Pete gave him a small smile. One that Andy knew as ‘Pete’s guilty grin’, and he recited what had been said between himself and Patrick when they got back from shopping.

Andy laughed, “Your scent drunk man.”

“I—what?”

“Scent drunk. Drunk on Patrick’s scent. Intoxicated by the omega’s aroma, tipsy on his—”

“Okay okay okay I get it. How do I make it stop so I’m not slobbering and sniffing at him all the time?”

“Mate.”

“You know I can’t do that yet. We’re not ready.” Pete whined.

“I know. So until then, either get a hold of yourself or keep drooling over him. But from my perspective, and what you’ve told me, Patrick doesn’t seem to mind. He might be scent drunk too.”

“Great. That just means that neither of us are thinking clearly.” Pete was pouting at Andy now.

“Have more faith in yourself.”

“Easier said than done.”

“Then have faith in him.”

Pete smiled, of course Andy could find the right words to make his troubles evaporate if only for a moment.

"I already do."


	22. Andy Snapped

The next day, they were talking about Patrick’s role in the band. He would be their lead singer, as well as play guitar. To do this he would need a guitar. Patrick had assumed that they already had a guitar for him to play. There were quite a few of them around the apartment. 

Pete had a different idea.

“Put your shoes on Tricky.”

Patrick moved to do as he was asked without hesitation and looked up at him, “Where we going?”

“You’ll see.”

That was the last thing Pete had said and now they were walking out onto the sidewalk. Patrick started towards the car but Pete put his arm around his back and pulled him in a different direction down the sidewalk.

“Pete?”

“It’s just around the corner.”

When they turned the corner and came to a record store Patrick figured it out. Or at least he thought he had. He thought they were going to visit Andy and Joe at work. Pete had said that sometime he would bring him there to get him out of the apartment a bit. 

He once again didn’t know that Pete had a different idea.

When they walked in Pete immediately looked around for Andy or Joe. Finally noticing his friends restocking some records in the corner. 

“This way.”

They made their way over to where the other two were working, Joe lit up when he saw them, rushing to give Patrick a hug. 

“Haha hi Joe.”

Pete smiled at them and turned his attention to Andy, “Well, you know whats best.”

Pete had asked Andy to pick out whichever guitar he thought would be best for Patrick.

Andy grinned at his friend. “Right this way.”

Andy led them to the other side of the store where the instruments are displayed for sale and picked up a white Gretsch. He turned to Patrick and lifted the strap over his head, walking around him to adjust the length.

Patrick looked stunned, looking between Andy and Pete for an explanation. 

“If your gonna be in a band you’ll need a guitar.”

“I—you guys—you don’t need to buy me a new one, I’m not worth—”

“Don’t start with that you know you’ll lose the argument. You deserve this.” Pete raised an eyebrow at him almost daring him to argue.

Patrick sighed. He knew he couldn’t argue with the alpha about this. Pete was usually a pushover when it came to Patrick, the only exception being when Patrick said something negative about himself. Then he refused to back down. 

“Thank you, guys. I really do love it.”

“Test it out baby.” 

He blushed and strummed once, noticing that Andy or Joe must’ve tuned this before he got here. He started playing one of their songs, laughing when Joe and Pete started playing air guitar next to him. 

 

Patrick picked out a case and Andy gave him a handful of new picks. When they were walking up to the register Pete saw the guys that had harassed Joe before coming into the store and immediately stepped in front of Patrick. Andy pushed Joe behind Pete too and said, “Joe, you go with Pete and check them out, I’ll handle these guys.”

Andy walked over to them and tried to distract them from going towards Joe or Patrick. He didn’t give his usual smile, not even bothering to try and be polite and wanting to get them out of the store as quickly as possible.

They had started with the usual bigoted nonsense about omegas, Andy didn’t like it but he couldn’t let it show, he needed to remain in control of himself so he could control the situation.

“Where is that little slut you keep in here? He around?”

Andy wanted to murder him. The other wasn’t any better. 

“We know it’s here, the scent is all over the place. You really shouldn’t let it touch the merchandise if you want to sell anything.”

“You really oughta put those things on leashes. Can’t let them be runnin lose, disturbing the peace.”

“We could take it off your hands. How much you want for it?”

 

They continued their vulgar comments for a few moments, Andy tried to ignore them, he wanted to give Joe enough time to check out Pete and Patrick, hoping they would leave, and Joe would hide. Andy was angry sure, but he was also a bit worried. These guys usually would’ve left by now. They were definitely more aggressive today than normal.

 

Joe checked Pete and Patrick out as quickly as possible, glancing over at the other alphas every so often. 

Even after they had checked out, Pete and Patrick didn’t leave. 

Pete didn’t want to leave Joe alone even though Andy was just barely twenty feet away. He could tell when the other alphas had noticed the omegas by the way they stopped talking and started staring, over Andy's shoulder.

Pete moved Patrick behind the counter with Joe and took a few steps toward the other alphas and crossed his arms. He knew Andy could handle himself in a fight but that didn’t mean he should have too.

When they formed a pack, even though it was just the two of them for a while, Andy made Pete his second. He second in command. His right hand man. Pete didn’t like fights, but Andy was his best friend, his brother, his alpha, if someone tried to fight Andy, they would have to answer to him too. 

The other alphas took a step back when Pete had moved forward a bit. Andy smirked. He didn’t need to look behind himself, he knew Pete was there. Probably giving the other alphas a death glare. Andy crossed his arms, pride for his friend, his pack, welling up in his chest, the pack bond between himself and Pete fueling his adrenaline.

He was still worried that these guys might do something like report Joe just to get back at him, but there were other customers in the store now, if anything did happen, he would have witnesses. 

“You’ve got about three seconds to leave or we’re gonna tear your fucking lungs out.” Andy’s voice was still as calm as it ever was but he was using his alpha voice and it had some venom behind his words.

The other alphas glared at him and then at Pete and the two omegas behind the counter, but they left. Grumbling about ‘dirty omega lovers’ and how ‘they’ll be back’.

Andy followed them to the door and waited until they were out of sight before turning to walk back to his friends. He patted Pete on the shoulder. When he looked over at the omegas Patrick was hugging his guitar to his chest, he looked scared. Joe looked worried.

“Take Joe home with you now, I don’t want to take a chance having him walk home with me tonight.” 

Pete nodded and looked over to the omegas. "You ready?"

“No, Andy I’m not leaving you here. What if those guys come back?”

“That’s exactly why I want you to leave with Pete. It’s safer for you to walk home now, in the daylight with him than later tonight when it’s dark.”

“It’s only around the corner!”

“I don’t care how far it is, you are going with Pete.” Andy’s voice had gotten slightly more intense, a sign that he was close to using his alpha voice.

It was hard for Andy to be so tense with Joe. He never ordered the omega to do anything. But after what happened earlier he didn’t want to take a chance.

Joe glared at the alpha. Something that had Patrick moving closer to Pete. He had never seen an omega challenge an alpha like that and not get into some kind of trouble.

All Andy did was sigh and pull a squirming Joe to his chest and gently said, “I promise it’s just for your safety. They might come back here tonight and if they do, I don’t want you in harms way.”

Joe had stopped squirming, burying his face in his alpha’s chest, “I don’t want you in harms way either.” he mumbled.

Andy smiled into Joe’s hair. “Okay. I’ll call Pete when I leave and he can meet me on the corner. How’s that sound?”

“Fine. I still don’t see why I can’t stay though.” He was just pouting, Joe knew it was safer if he went home with Pete, he knew Andy was right, but he wasn’t gonna tell him that.

 

It was after 10pm when Andy called Pete to say he was leaving. 

Andy walked out of the store when he could see Pete on the corner. He turned and locked the door and when he was facing Pete again he saw him walking towards him.

“Pete? I said meet on the corner.”

Pete ignored him and when he got closer Andy realized, Pete wasn’t looking at him. He was looking past him over his shoulder. 

Andy turned around and saw the two guys from before. They looked very drunk, and very angry. He was thankful that he had sent Joe home early. 

“Dirty omega lovers.” His words were slurred and he was swaying a lot. If Andy and Pete did end up fighting these guys he’s pretty sure they would kick their asses.

One of them took a swing at Pete, it was aimed high and Pete easily caught his wrist, twisting it and pushing him away. The other alpha stumbled backwards a few feet. His friend looked more nervous now. He was obviously the leader, more built than the other, but Andy had more muscle than both of them combined.

Andy faced the bigger one while Pete continued to stare down the other.

It was silent for a moment, and then the one in front of Andy took a step back, “alright alright no need to get feisty…” 

Andy expected the alpha to take a swing at him not Pete. The other alpha swung quickly and made contact with Pete’s jaw. 

That was it. 

Andy snapped.

He had the other alpha on the ground in half a second. Andy was punching him with all the strength he could, using his weight to swing harder.

He didn’t notice when the other guy ran off. He didn’t notice when his knuckles busted open. He didn’t notice when the one he was punching passed out. But he noticed when Pete wrapped his arms around his middle and pulled him off the guy.

Pete had pulled Andy to his feet and stepped back to give him some space to breath. Andy was panting and there was blood dripping from his hand. He looked at the unconscious guy on the ground and then back at Pete.

Pete had seen Andy fight before, it always amazed and intimidated him when he saw his friend like this. But Andy never stayed in his Alpha head space for long. 

“You okay Petey?”

Pete smiled and lightly shook his head. Of course, Andy would be more worried about him than himself. 

Pete pulled a bandana from around his wrist and tied it around Andy’s knuckles. “I’m fine. But our omegas are probably worried sick.”

Andy chuckled and put his arm over Pete’s shoulders. “Let’s go home.”


	23. I Promise I'm Okay

When they got back to the apartment Andy was calm or at least mostly calm. He had an incredible amount of control over his own emotions. It took a lot for him to lose it but seeing his family hurt was, in his opinion, the worst situation possible. So when he had seen Pete get hit self-control was no longer a priority. 

Before Pete left to meet Andy, he had told Joe and Patrick to keep the apartment locked, stay quiet and away from the door. He didn’t take a key with him just because he didn’t want it to somehow fall into the hands of anyone like those asshole alphas. Who knows what could've happened if those guys had gotten into their apartment where Joe and Patrick were.

 

Pete pounded on the door, “Joe, open up its us.”

The sound of quick footsteps, the locks clicking free and the door was swinging open to reveal a panicked looking Joe and Patrick. 

Joe took one look at Andy’s hand and brought his gaze up to the alpha’s eyes; the color had drained from his face. Patrick was a few steps behind him hugging a pillow to his chest. Andy hadn’t broken his eye contact with Joe, but Pete was looking back and forth between the two of them waiting to see who moved first.

Turns out it was Patrick that broke the stillness. “Andy, a-are you okay?”

Andy and Pete looked up at Patrick, but Joe still wasn’t moving. Or blinking, it’s like he was frozen. The omega looked like he was holding his breath, his eyes were watering a bit, though no tears had fallen.

“It’s just my hand, ill be alright. No big deal.” Andy said turning his attention back to the other omega.

“Yeah well, lets get you cleaned up Mr. Swayze.” Pete put a hand on Andy’s back and tried to urge him inside. 

Andy let out a breathy laugh, he was always relieved when Pete could make tension disappear with a joke.

Pete was cleaning Andy’s hand where his knuckles had broke open. He had done this before, not just from volunteering with ORS, but him and Andy had been best friends for ages, and he had seen the other alpha get all sorts of injuries. In the past few years though he had gotten much better at fighting and now it was usually his fist that got bloody, rarely his face anymore. 

Pete hadn’t even thought about his face yet. It didn’t hurt. The guy that hit him had been too drunk to aim properly. He had made contact with his jaw but he didn’t follow through with the swing. 

Joe had followed them into the bathroom. Andy was sitting on the edge of the tub and Pete was kneeling in front of him with their first aid kit. Joe was standing in the doorway, still in shock it seemed. Patrick had sat up on the sink, hoping to stay out of the way but instincts telling him to stay close to his pack, official or not.

Pete was almost finished with his friends hand, when he realized that nobody had said anything else since they came in here. He wanted to say something to Joe, he wasn’t sure what to say but he wanted to calm the situation. He also didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. Even thought they were a pack couple things sometimes needed to stay between them. What had Joe upset definitely seemed more like a couple issue than a pack one. 

Andy must’ve noticed him thinking because he patted Pete’s head, “Thanks man.” and stood up to move closer to Joe.

“C’mon baby, lets talk.” 

Joe didn’t say anything but nodded and let Andy lead him to their room. 

He hated when Andy got in fights. Hated seeing him hurt. He knew what it felt like to get beat up, and he didn’t want Andy to ever feel it. He knew the alpha could fight, he knew he was good at it. But the image of Andy being hurt made his head spin, and not in the good way. It was too overwhelming, too scary, too everything. Andy was his everything, he loved him more than anything, seeing him hurt and not being able to do anything about it made him feel worse. 

When their door was shut the levee broke, a few tears were rolling down Joe’s face now. Andy sat down on their bed and pulled the omega into his lap.

He waited for the omega to calm down before saying anything. “Joe, hey, look at me. I promise I am okay. Really, it’s just my hand.”

He knew it upset Joe when he got into fights. Not that he got in fights often, it has actually been a couple months since the last time he punched anybody, and that was because some drunk tried to kiss Joe.

“What if it wasn’t just your hand though?”

“Hmm…then Pete would finally get to murder someone?” Andy was kidding…only a little, trying to lighten the mood.

Joe let out a short laugh and smiled despite himself. “Don’t do that, I’m upset.”

Andy smiled, knowing his plan had worked. “Baby I promise I’m okay.”

“You both could’ve been really hurt though.”

“But I wasn’t. Neither was Pete. We’ve had worse.”

“Just because something isn’t as bad as last time doesn’t mean that it’s okay now!”

“Joe—”

“Please don’t fight anymore.”

“You know I can’t promise that. We only fight when we have to. It’s not like we go out of our way to look for it.”

“Yeah I guess.”

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course. Why would you ask—”

“Then please trust that I am okay right now. Trust that I will do anything I have to if it means keeping you safe, that includes kicking those pricks asses. I promise I won’t fight unless I have to. But I can’t promise you that I won’t ever fight again.”

“okay, I’m not happy but I do trust you.”

Andy knew that this argument or some form of it would happen the next time he got into a fight, but for now it was over. Joe was calm, or as calm as he was gonna get tonight.

 

Pete had told Patrick what happened. He was much calmer than Joe had been. But when Pete mentioned that he got punched he could sense anger start coming out of the omega. It wasn’t until he mentioned how Andy hurt his hand that Patrick calmed down.

Patrick had been surprised to see Andy’s bloody fist, but it wasn’t shocking. He figured Andy and Pete were fine because they had gotten back and they were smiling, neither of them limping or bleeding from the head or torso…just Andy’s hand. He had been worried for him but when he saw and felt how calm the alpha was, he calmed down too. 

Being a part of a pack that stuck up for each other and protected each other was new. 

He remembered his father’s pack. It was one of the largest in Chicago. They didn’t protect each other in fights. They wouldn’t, it was ‘survive fights on your own or die.’ His father wasn’t worried about losing too many members because there were always new people wanting to join. The name had a reputation that made people ignore the problems it had.

Patrick would have to remember to thank Andy for protecting Pete tomorrow. It was really a relief to know that these guys were an actual pack.


	24. At Least One Decent Parent

The next morning the four of them walked to the record store together, when they got to where the fight happened, they could see a small, dried, puddle that was beginning to stain on the cement of the sidewalk. 

It had been dark last night, Andy didn’t notice there being enough blood to leave much of anything but the unsurprised look on Pete’s face told him that there must’ve been more than he realized. 

He couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the guy. Not that he cared what happened, but unconscious drunks just don’t disappear. Maybe his friend came back for him? 

But what if they both came back? What if they brought more people with them? Andy and Pete were good in a fight but they could only take on so many people at once.

Joe had taken one look at the ground and turned away. Patrick didn’t even flinch. Pete wasn’t sure if he should be happy or upset that the omega was so desensitized to the sight of blood. 

 

Time Skip

 

It had been a solid two weeks since the fight. They hadn’t seen or heard from either of the goons, but Andy still made Joe go home with Pete before dark. 

Pete would leave the apartment at the same time every night, reminding the omegas to lock the door. Then he would meet Andy at the corner of their block and they would walk back home together. It worked for now. He could see their apartment buildings door and the door to the record store from his place on the corner. 

Joe isn’t happy with the arrangement, but Andy didn’t leave any room for argument.

They had all been pretty busy and distracted the past few weeks, Andy’s hand was still healing, so they hadn’t had much practice, but today they were, and Patrick was gonna be a part of it.

He had spent the majority of the last couple weeks learning parts on the guitar and memorizing the lyrics to the songs they already had, it wasn’t hard, it had actually come very easily to him. Pete said this was a sign that Patrick was better than he let himself believe. 

He also knew that Pete was working on new lyrics. They had scheduled a show for a month from now at a club downtown. Pete wanted them to play some of the new stuff then.  


Patrick was nervous, never having performed in front of an audience before, but the guys had promised that he could always wait for the next show or the one after that. They had been really understanding with Patrick, really patient too. It just made him want to be that much better. 

He was determined to play the show, even if he had to stare at the floor or watch Pete and Joe the whole time. He would do it for them.

Joe was really excited for the show, not just because of Patrick joining them but because Panic! at the Disco were gonna be there too. 

It had been awhile since he talked to them, even longer since he saw them in person. He was desperate to see them again. Last he talked to Brendon, he found out he had met 'some people' he wanted to mate with. Joe wasn’t sure what he meant by “people”, maybe he found an alpha and a beta to mate with. Joe couldn’t imagine sharing Andy with someone, but Brendon sounded so happy that he didn’t want to press too much. 

Joe was happy for him, he was worried of course. He couldn’t help it, he knew all too well that not all alphas were nice like Andy and Pete. He hoped that whoever Brendon had fallen for was a nice person and he hoped Brendon would get along with Patrick when they meet. He didn’t think it would be a problem, they were both super sweet and nice people, but Patrick was exceptionally quiet and shy compared to Brendon, who was loud and flirty and energetic.

When it came time to start practice, they all took their places, forming a kind of circle facing each other. It was small but comfortable.

They started with the songs that Patrick knew the best, and then spent the majority of the rest of their time working on the newer stuff. 

They had practiced for a few hours. 

Patrick felt a lot better about performing next month. He knew an audience would be different and he was still nervous about that but after playing and singing with them he realized that he could do it. It helped a lot that every time he looked over at Pete and saw his smile and his eyes staring back at him. Happy and excited, and proud? 

Pete had been praising Patrick in between most all of the songs and tried to convey his support through his eyes when ever Patrick had looked over at him. He thinks the omega got it because he would blush every time.

 

It was close to 8am the next day, Joe and Andy had to go to work. Pete and Patrick walked to the store with them but only stayed for a few minutes before they decided to go get some breakfast at a diner down the street.

They had invited Joe to come along since he wasn't technically on the time clock, but he declined. He had turned himself into Andy’s shadow since the fight, not wanting to let the alpha out of his sight.

The diner was mostly empty. Besides Pete and Patrick there were a few old couples and an alpha mother with a few kids. Pete started looking through his menu, “See anything you might like Trick?”

When he got no answer he looked up in concern at the omega, “Trick?” Still no response, he wasn’t even looking at Pete. 

He followed Patrick’s eyes across the room and noticed he was watching the mother and her kids. He must miss his mom. Pete felt bad for him, but he didn’t know how to help.

He thought maybe trying to look for information on his mother but wasn’t sure where to start. He didn’t even know if Patrick would want to ever go back to Chicago after what happened. He didn’t even know Patrick’s mom’s name. 

He reached across the table to put his hand over Patrick’s, “Trick, do you want to talk about your mother? I know it must be hard, being away so long—”

“Don’t. Please don’t. I just, I just wonder what she thinks. Or if she thinks about me. I miss her.” Patrick had tears in his eyes now. He hadn’t stopped watching the mother with her children though. 

They looked so happy, laughing and playing, he remembered a time when he and his brothers would play like that. His mother would take them out to restaurants or parks so they could play. His father never wanted them to play at home. Saying it was a waste of time and they needed to grow up.

Well Patrick had grown up. He grew up quick, quicker than he should have.

Pete just watched, helpless as the omega silently cried. He wasn’t close with his parents, he hasn't spoken to them in years. He didn't get along with his own father at all, but right now he wanted to hug his mother and thank his father for not being like Patrick’s.

“What if we try to find her? Or try calling her?”

Patrick's eyes were widened but he looked hopeful.

“I don’t even know if she’s still around.” 

“It’ll be worth a try.”

“I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

“What if I call and find out if she’s there?”

“Okay. But I don’t know if I’m ready to talk yet.”

“Alright, I'll do the talking. We’ll call after you eat something.”

 

They ate in mostly silence, Patrick would occasionally look over at the mother and her children. Of course, he wanted to talk to his mother, but it had been six years since he saw or spoke to her. And what if his father found out he was free?

They walked home, not wanting to make this phone call in public. 

Patrick typed in the number of his childhood home, “They might not even live there anymore.”

“Only one way to find out. What’s her name?”

“Patricia.”

Pete knew right then that there was no way Patrick’s mother knew about what her husband had done. She had loved Patrick enough to name him something so similar to her own name. She wouldn’t have hurt any of her children, it made Pete happy to know that she wasn’t a monster too, at least Patrick had one decent parent.

"Wait! What if she isn't the one that answers? What if my father answers?"

Pete looked at his phone then up at Patrick. He was starting to regret this idea. Patrick looked scared, and he didn't want to be the cause or contributor of that.

"I'll hang up, I won't say a word. We'll put it on speaker and that way you can hear who it is before I talk."

Patrick nodded and they both took a deep breath, this is it.

The phone started ringing, it was almost through the last ring when a voice spoke up. 

“Hello?”


	25. Tomorrow

“Hello?”

 

It was a mans voice.

 

Patrick looked up and shrugged. He didn’t recognize the voice, he mouthed ‘I don’t know’ at Pete.

Pete was a bit relieved that it wasn’t Patrick’s father, but he was disappointed that it wasn’t his mother. The voice on the line had sounded like they were about Pete’s age. Definitely an alpha.

“Hello?” Came through the line again.

“Um…hello? Who is this?”

“Well you called me so why don’t you tell me who you are first.” The other voice was slightly threatening. Patrick was somewhat intimidated, but Pete just made his own voice more firm.

“I’m trying to reach a woman named Patricia Stump. This was the only number I had for her.”

Silence was on the other end of the phone for what felt like centuries. 

“What do you want with her?”

Pete looked at Patrick, hopeful because the person didn’t say they didn’t know Patricia. That meant maybe this person knew where to find her. Patrick shook his head quickly and mouthed ‘Don’t tell’. 

“So you know her?”

“Yes. Who are you?” Pete could tell the voice on the line was getting more and more agitated.

“I just want to talk to her about something. How do you know her?” Pete really didn’t want to give too much information about Patrick to whoever this was because they might be part of his father’s gang.

“What do you need to talk to her about?”

“I can’t really say. It’s-it’s personal.”

This seemed to push the person far enough to snap.

“Well I am an alpha of this house and if you think for a second that I’m going to let some stranger speak to her—”

“It’s about her son.”

Pete flinched at his words, afraid Patrick might be mad for saying that, but the omega looked more curious than scared right now.

There was a moment of hesitation on the other end of the line, but at least they weren’t yelling anymore.

“Alright look, I don’t care who you are, but this isn’t funny.”

Pete sighed, “I’m serious, I need to talk to her about her son.”

“I am her son.”

Pete froze. 

When he looked up at Patrick the omega was pale. He hadn’t been this pale since he was in the hospital. 

There was a long pause, Pete didn’t want to say anything until Patrick gave him some sort of signal.

Patrick grabbed a piece of paper and pen and wrote, ‘Kevin’ and ‘Ben’.

“Are you Kevin or Ben?”

“I…Kevin….Who are you?” He didn’t sound angry anymore. Just confused.

Patrick had tears running down his face, this was the first time he had heard his brothers voice in six years.

He grabbed the pen again and wrote, ‘Father?’

Pete started to feel nervous, he hadn’t thought about that. He definitely couldn’t tell Kevin about Patrick if their father was still there.

“Is—is your father still there?”

There was a sharp inhale that came through the phone, “No. And if you’re a friend of his you can go burn in hell.”

“I’m not any kind of friend to him.” Pete had more venom in his words than he’s had in a while. 

Kevin seemed to notice Pete’s disdain for his father and calmed down again. 

“Who are you?”

Pete looked up at Patrick once again. The omega was still silently crying but he was smiling. He nodded at Pete.

“My name is Pete Wentz. I have some information about Patrick.”

It was dead silence on both ends of the line. Patrick had moved and re-situated himself in Pete’s lap, hiding his face in the alpha’s neck, the scent calming him.

Pete was getting anxious now, he tightened an arm around Patrick’s middle and thought maybe Kevin had hung up but then he heard a shaky voice come through the line.

“W-what about h-him? H-he’s been…gone for years.” Pete could tell the other alpha was trying to keep calm but was losing to his emotions.

“He’s alive. He’s um…he’s safe now. We just…do you know why he went missing?” Pete buried his face in Patrick’s neck, he didn’t want to talk about this, or hear about wat happened to Patrick again but Patrick needed him.

More silence came, then a massive sigh of relief and if Pete could see him, he’s sure Kevin was crying on the other side of the phone.

“Our…our father did something. We-we never knew what but…one day P-Patrick was gone. Our father said he ran away. We knew that wasn’t true though. We had guessed that our father killed him. He never had any respect for omegas and was angry when Patrick presented as one. It wasn’t hard to piece together. When Ben got home…he told our father to leave. They fought.”

Pete felt Patrick tense against him, “What happened to Ben?” Pete was almost afraid to ask.

“He won, he was hurt pretty bad, but he won. He didn’t kill our father, but he won the fight. Our father left that night, we haven’t seen or heard from him since.” 

Patrick let out a sigh of relief. Ben was the oldest sibling, five years older than Patrick, just like Pete. Kevin was the middle sibling, three years older than Patrick.

Pete wasn’t sure if he should fill in what actually happened but decided to wait for now.

“We never stopped looking for him, looking for…for his body. We…we were convinced he was gone for good…..Are you sure you’ve got the right Patrick?”

“I’m sure.”

“Well is he there? Is he okay? Is he hurt? Where is he?”

Pete looked at Patrick, but the omega shook his head. He wasn’t ready to talk yet.

“He’s okay. He’s…getting better every day.” Pete was talking more to Patrick now. Trying to reassure him that he was doing great. “He’s here but he isn’t…can’t talk right now. We’re in Los Angeles.”

“Is he with you right now? Can he hear me?”

“Yeah he’s here. He’s listening. He’s happy to hear your voice, he misses you.” Pete was trying to say what he thought Patrick would want to say. He must’ve been right because Patrick was smiling up at him and mouthing ‘thank you’.

“I’m coming. Where at in LA, I want to see him for myself?”

Pete’s eyebrows went up at that. He hadn’t expected him to want to come out right away, but it made sense. He looked over at Patrick to see what his reaction was. The omega looked hopeful, excited even. 

“I won’t tell my mother or Ben yet. I want this to be real but I don’t want to get their hopes up until I know for sure.”

“I understand.”

They spoke for a few more minutes about his visit. He exchanged cell phone numbers with Kevin and texted him directions to their apartment from the airport.

Patrick’s brother was going to fly out tomorrow morning. Wanting to get here as soon as possible. He was eager to see his brother again. He was nervous too. He didn’t think it would ever happen.

They had walked down to the record store to get Joe because it was almost dark now and told him and Andy about Patrick’s brother coming tomorrow.

 

That night Patrick hardly slept, too anxious, too wound up at the thought of reuniting with his brother. He wondered what his brothers and mother looked like now. What he had been up to for the past six years. 

Kevin was 16 years old when Patrick went missing. He would be 22 now. It was weird to think about his brother as an adult. This was the first person from his past that he was going to see since being sold. 

Tomorrow. He would see his brother tomorrow.


	26. Enough

Morning had come faster than Patrick expected. Pete didn’t want to wake him up because he knew that the omega hadn’t slept much last night. But they needed to get ready because Kevin’s flight was coming in around 9am California time. 

Kevin was getting a taxi to their apartment, Pete didn’t want to risk taking Patrick into a place as crowded as LAX.

It was already 8 when Patrick finally woke up to Pete nuzzling his neck.

Pete felt the moment Patrick remembered what was happening this morning because he stiffened and started breathing heavier.

“Still an hour before he lands baby.”

“Only an hour.” Patrick corrected.

 

The hour went by slowly for Pete but felt fast to Patrick. Patrick was nervous. Very nervous. He started clinging to Pete, not wanting to be out of touching distance. While he was getting dressed, he had started panicking a bit. He decided to substitute one of his new shirts for one of Pete’s. That way he could use the alpha’s scent to calm himself down.

 

9:13am

That’s what he was doing right now, laying in bed with Pete. They were scenting each other in the hopes of calming the omega’s nerves.

“Trick I know you’re nervous so just take this at your own pace okay? If you need a break from talking or if you want me to talk just let me know.”

Patrick nodded, thankful that Pete was willing to step in if he needed him too.

Pete started carding his fingers through Patrick’s hair when there was a knock door.

Patrick tensed and buried his face in Pete’s neck again. He decided to let Andy get the door, he couldn’t make himself leave Patrick’s arms just yet.

 

“Are you Pete Wentz?” 

“No I’m his roommate Andy, you must be Kevin. Come in.”

Kevin walked slowly into the apartment and looked around, not seeing Patrick made him think it might’ve been a prank.

“Where is he?” He looked agitated. Andy wasn’t going to let him near Patrick until he calmed down a bit.

“Andy, I have an idea for that new song—” Joe had walked into the room, stopped in his tracks when he saw the other alpha. 

He looked to Andy for guidance on what he should do. Usually when other alphas were around, he tried to be societies version of a perfect omega by kneeling next to his alpha and keeping his mouth shut.

Andy smiled at Joe, and looked back at Kevin. “This is my omega Joe. Joe this is Patrick’s brother Kevin.”

“Oh. Oh shit hi. Nice to meet you.” Joe glanced around and when he didn’t see Pete or Patrick he looked back at Andy again.

“Baby go tell them that Kevin is here please.”

Joe nodded, thankful to be getting out of the tenseness of the room.

He went to Pete and Patrick’s door and knocked lightly, “Guys! Guys its me. Kevin is here.”

Pete opened the door, and looked over his shoulder at Patrick, who was currently standing behind Pete to use him as a human shield. 

“He’s a bit nervous.” 

Patrick thought that was an understatement of vast proportions.

Pete wanted to go out and meet Kevin, but he promised Patrick they would go at his pace, so he stayed put. “Tell him to make himself comfortable, we’ll be out when Patrick is ready.”

Joe nodded and returned to give the other alphas Pete’s message.

He started to walk over towards Andy. He could feel the other alpha watching him and he didn’t want to make him mad, so he went to kneel next to Andy’s legs but stopped when Andy slipped an arm around his waist and pulled him on the couch next to him.

“Not when we’re home.” Is all Andy said. He started making small talk with Kevin about his flight, fingers rubbing circles on Joe’s stomach.

Kevin seemed like a good guy, he must be if he’s anything like Patrick. Joe relaxed into Andy’s side and pretended to pay attention to the alpha’s conversation. He was starting to doze off when he heard footsteps coming into the room.

All three turned towards the noise, Pete was there but not Patrick. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Pete.”

Pete moved to shake Kevin’s hand. “You too. I—”

Kevin stopped talking when he smelled Pete. He had an omega scent on him. A familiar scent. His brother. It was real then, Patrick was alive, and he was here.

“Patrick.”

“He’s nervous. He isn’t quite ready to come out here yet.”

Kevin came to a realization that Patrick’s scent had to be all over the other alpha for a reason…Kevin was livid. 

“Who are you to him?”

Pete was a little thrown off by the question. He wasn’t quite sure what Kevin was asking, but he seemed mad.

“Listen I don’t—"

“Are you fucking kidding? His scent is all over you. You find some lost omega and decide to just keep him for yourself, he—”

Now Pete was getting mad. 

“Excuse me! I would never hurt—"

“He should’ve been brought back to—”

“You’re crazy if you think I would take him back there after what hap—”

“Did you take ownership of him?”

Pete hesitated for a second, “It was the only way to keep him safe fr—”

“Save it. I want you to stay aw—”

“HA! No fucking chance man!”

When Kevin stepped closer to get in Pete’s face is when Andy decided to step in.

“Calm down now. Both of you.” Andy had used his alpha voice. Even if it didn't have the same effect on omegas as it did on alphas, it was enough.

Pete obeyed…mostly. He was still angry and tense, but he stayed in control, nodding at Andy. Kevin glared at the two of them. He wouldn’t start a fight here. He was here to see Patrick. And he didn’t think he could take on both Andy and Pete at once.

A few tense moments of silence went by as Andy moved Pete back so there was some space between the two alphas. Joe hadn't moved from his spot on the couch. 

For a moment, Andy thought everything had calmed down, but then Kevin spoke up again.

“I want you to sign over ownership to me.”

“Never.”

“He belongs with his family!”

“He wants to be here!”

“That’s not—”

 

“ENOUGH!” 

All four pairs of eyes turned towards the voice. 

 

Patrick.


	27. I Love You

Patrick was standing in the doorway staring at the alphas. 

He wasn’t entirely ready to come out and talk yet, but he heard Pete arguing. He’d sounded mad and he recognized the other voice from the phone. Kevin. But he couldn’t understand why they were arguing. They had just met. He didn’t know what started the argument, but he wanted it to end. He had only planned to peek into the room to see what was happening but when he saw Andy get between them and heard Kevin demand ownership he got scared. 

He didn’t want to leave. He loved his brothers and mom but…well Pete, Andy, Joe…he saw them as family too. 

The relief Patrick felt when Pete immediately refused was indescribable. At least he knew Pete wouldn’t let him go without a fight. But when he heard Kevin start yelling again his instincts kicked in.

Someone was posing a threat to his pack, they might not be an official pack yet but as good as. He didn’t like that someone was yelling at Pete. 

He was a bit frozen now though, now that he had the attention of the alphas. He couldn’t stop staring at Kevin. He looked so different. Bigger, stronger, intimidating.

He walked towards them and noticed as Kevin growled when Pete stepped closer to Patrick. Andy stepped closer to Kevin. The move being enough to make Kevin stop and take a step back from Andy and Pete.

Patrick walked over to them and stood beside Pete, slightly behind his shoulder so he could hold onto the alpha’s arm.

He wasn’t sure what to do now, Kevin was staring at him, he didn’t look as angry, actually he looked like he was doing everything not to cry.

“Patrick? It’s really you.”

“Hi Kev.”

The brothers stared into each other’s eyes for a couple moments, then Patrick took a small step forward letting go of Pete’s arm and opened his arms a bit. Kevin responded quickly pulling him in for a hug.

They were both crying now. Seeing Patrick so happy made Pete calm down completely. He didn’t like that the omega was crying but knowing they were happy tears made it more tolerable.

Andy sighed, relieved that the tension was gone for now, and moved back to sit on the couch. Pete followed wanting to give them some space before they all talked. The opposite couch being left empty for Kevin to sit on. Pete had left enough space for Patrick to sit next to him if he wanted. He wouldn’t ask the omega to sit with him, especially since he just got reunited with his brother, but he wanted to give him the option.

After a few minutes they pulled back and Patrick looked around at everyone, “We need to talk.”

Patrick waited for Kevin to sit on the empty couch before moving to sit on the chair with Joe. It was squished but he wanted to stay between the two alphas, and Joe being an omega too made him feel better about being surrounded by alphas.

“Well I want to know where you’ve been for the last six years but first you need to tell me why you and this alpha are covered in each other’s scents.” Kevin’s words were tense, his alpha voice there but not quite taking over.

Pete was starting to growl quietly, not wanting to be the one to start anything, but he didn’t like that someone was using that tone with Patrick.

To everyone’s surprise Patrick didn’t back down, he actually got defensive. 

“Pete’s scent is on me because I want it to be. His scent calms me and makes me feel safe. He’s the one who saved me and healed me and still continues to heal me, and he is going to be my mate someday so back off.”

Pete felt pride and admiration well up in his chest. Patrick was feisty, a bit of spitfire. This was the first time he’d seen Patrick so forceful with his words. He was half tempted to praise him, but he didn’t want to interrupt so he just smiled to himself.

Kevin had listened to Patrick talk, with a surprised and slightly scared expression. 

“What do you mean saved?”

Patrick flinched. He hadn’t realized he said that. He would have to explain what happened, how it happened. Joe wrapped his arms around Patrick’s middle and squeezed him against his chest. 

“Um…” he looked at Pete, who leaned forward, ready to take over if he needed to, “When I…when I presented, dad…he uh…he sold me to some very bad people.”

Kevin got very still, very quiet and very pale. The tension was back in the room. Patrick was trying hard to keep his composure, he had a vice grip on Joe’s arm.

“The uh, the man who bought me he…he kept me in his basement and tortured me. In a lot of ways.”

Joe hugged Patrick closer, the smell of anger and dread coming from all three of the alphas was stifling.

“Like a month and a half ago, Pete…Pete saved me. I was in the hospital for 27 days. We got close, for a long time he was the only person I trusted. When I was allowed to be discharged, Pete offered to become my owner so I wouldn’t have to go into a shelter. They took me in, and eventually I’ll join their pack officially. Pete and Andy and Joe, and now me, we are a family. And I love you, Ben and mom, but I’m not leaving them.”

Patrick had held eye contact with Kevin for most of it, he didn’t want to get into details about the torture right now. But he hoped that what he said was enough to make his brother calm down.

“Well, Pete, thank you for saving him. But I still don’t support what you’re doing. So what, he just got tortured for six fucking years and you decide to move in on him?!?”

“It’s not like that.” Pete was trying to stay calm he really was.

Patrick was shocked, he knew his brother was hot headed, but this was different than he remembered.

“What the hell happened to you? You didn’t use to be like this.”

“We haven’t seen you for six years Patrick. Then you call one day out of nowhere. You just said you’ve been tortured for all this time and now you’re living with this guy and letting him scent you just because he rescued you?!? What the hell am I supposed to think? It seems to me that he saw an opportunity to take advantage of a broken omega.”

Pete stood up at that. 

“You seriously need to back the fuck off now.” Pete’s alpha voice was coming through now.

Kevin ignored him, instead standing in front of Patrick, “You’re not thinking straight. After we get home, you’ll see that he’s—"

“Shut the fuck up.” Patrick stood up and got right up in Kevin’s face.

“You haven’t listened to single word I’ve said have you?” Patrick was almost yelling now.

Kevin looked beyond shocked, he had never seen Patrick stand up for himself like this.

“Pete saved me from a hell that you will never understand. He stayed with me at the hospital every single night and day that I was there just because I asked him to. And not that it is any of your business but we imprinted on each other after only a couple of weeks. He didn’t just decide to be my owner, he asked me first if that was what I wanted because he is a good guy. As for our relationship, I’m setting the pace. We haven’t mated because I’m not ready yet. I’m not staying with him just because he saved me or because he’s forcing me to. I’m staying because I fucking love him!”

Patrick’s rant finished with his hands in fists at his sides, he was glaring angrily up at his brother who looked like he just witnessed the Titanic sinking. 

After a few moments of silence Patrick realized what he said. 

He had just admitted out loud that he loves Pete.

Patrick froze. All the anger replaced with fear as he turned to face Pete. The alpha was standing behind Patrick looking like he just won the lottery. Patrick figured he must be okay with it, he had expected it to be too soon, that maybe Pete didn’t feel the same way yet but the alpha was on cloud nine.

“Trick, you love me?” 

Patrick nodded and giggled at Pete's excitement, “Petey I love you.”

Pete pulled Patrick into a hug, “Oh my god. This is—I love you too.”

Andy and Joe smiled at their friends, Kevin still looked like he was in shock.

Patrick pulled back and looked at his brother again. “I’m sorry if you can’t accept this, but it’s what I want.”

Kevin nodded, he was a bit angry at himself for snapping but he just hadn’t seen his little brother in so long, he Just wanted to protect him. But seeing Patrick so confident and sure of what he wanted was new. Patrick was never like this when they were kids, he never stuck up for himself like this before. He wished he hadn’t been so closed off at the idea of Pete being there for him, with him. The omega obviously cared for the alpha. He just hadn’t realized how much until he snapped. 

“Uh…Pete, I’m uh…sorry for everything, I just…”

“It’s okay. I’m happy that Patrick has another person that’s protective of him.”

"If you ever hurt him though i will absolutely kill you or die trying."

"Right back at ya."

Pete and Kevin gave tight smiles to each other.

“So does this mean you two will behave?” Andy teased.

Kevin nodded, he was still very intimidated by the other alpha.

“Yes alpha.” Pete couldn’t resist but tease Andy back, he knew Andy hated being called alpha.

Andy just rolled his eyes and moved to take Patrick’s place on the chair with his own mate. Then he remembered why Joe had come into the room at all, “So you have some song ideas baby?”


	28. Troubled Thoughts

“So, you have some song ideas baby?”

Joe looked up at Andy, he’d almost forgotten why he came into the room before he knew Kevin was there. He did have some ideas for one of their songs, but he wasn’t sure if now was the best time. He didn’t want to take any attention away from Patrick.

“We can talk about it later.”

“You guys play music?”

“Yeah, we’ve been a band for almost a year, Patrick decided to join us a couple weeks ago. Good thing too, he’s a way better singer than me.”

“You’re singing again? I thought you quit when you were like ten years old?”

“Well I stopped singing at home then because dad said I was annoying…he gave me an alpha command to never let him catch me singing again. After that I only sang with my friends or when he wasn’t home.”

Just like that the tension was back, but this time it wasn’t directed at anybody in the room.

“Well I’d love to hear you play sometime.” This was the first time since he got here that Kevin seemed genuinely calm.

The longer they all sat together and talked, the longer Kevin realized that Pete really was a good guy. He watched as the alpha interacted with his brother. He was patient and gentle, never ordered him around or insulted him. It was refreshing to see someone be so kind to Patrick. 

When they were kids their father was always an asshole, he knew Patrick got picked on in school too, but his father had given him and Ben an alpha command to let Patrick fight his own battles, something about “making him into a man”.

They all spent the next few hours talking, they decided to go down to the diner when it was lunchtime, Kevin was anxious about this. He knew the danger omegas faced in public, he didn’t want anything to happen to Patrick. 

He was ready to grab Patrick’s arm and guide him or at least keep him as close as possible but when they stepped outside the apartment Patrick jumped on Pete’s back, laughing loudly and begging at the alpha to carry him. Kevin had almost expected to see Pete scold him or tell him no but all he did was smile and hook his hands under Patrick’s legs.

He figured his knowledge of omegas was probably limited compared to Pete and Andy, after all that Joe guy is an omega too. He didn’t have an omega, he hadn’t even met many besides Patrick, a few kids from his neighborhood and now Joe.

When he was a kid his father always told them awful things, things about omegas being slaves and spoke of them like they were property, he never believed him or agreed. When he was in school, he was told that omegas need guidance and discipline and that they couldn’t think clearly in their own.

Kevin didn’t get it. He didn’t understand why omegas were treated so differently, especially not when someone like Patrick was an omega. He was the nicest guy in the world, he never deserved to be hurt. 

Kevin respected omegas, but he had never seen anybody treat an omega like they were an equal…like the way Patrick and Joe are treated by Pete and Andy. 

He had seen omegas in public before, they weren’t usually even treated like people, even if it was their mate that was with them. Many alpha’s made their omegas act like property or pets when they were in public because of the danger the omega could be in if another alpha thought they were being disrespectful.

Maybe Pete and Andy were good guys, he hopes they are anyway. 

 

They made it to the diner, and picked a table close to the jukebox, as requested by Joe. Patrick sat between Pete and Kevin, and Andy between Kevin and Joe.

Joe and Patrick told Pete and Andy what they wanted to eat, omegas weren’t allowed to order for themselves. Once again Kevin was pleasantly surprised when Pete asked Patrick what he wanted instead of picking for him.

 

As they were eating a man came into the diner and as he was walking past their table he stopped. His eyes doubled in size when he saw Patrick.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t my favorite patient!”

“Dr. Woods!” Patrick stood up to hug the doctor that had treated him after he was rescued.

“You look wonderful, how you feeling?”

“I’m great, thank you.”

“How bout you Pete?”

“I’m great doc. Good to see you again.”

“This is my brother from Chicago, Kevin, Kevin this is my doctor. He treated me when I was rescued.”

The doctor looked a bit surprised but reached out and shook Kevin’s hand anyway.

“Well Ill let you get back to you meal, oh and Pete, there’s going to be a meeting sometime in the next couple weeks for OSR. I’ll call you with the details.”

“Thanks doc.”

“What’s OSR?” Kevin, who was watching the entire interaction in silent curiosity asked.

“Omega Safety and Rights, its an organization that Andy and I volunteer for to help omegas with their well being and human rights. We mostly help omegas get out of bad situations and rehabilitate them so they can move on to a happier and healthier life.”

“Is that what your doing with Patrick?” There’s that tension again.

Pete started to feel defensive again, but he felt Patrick’s hand on his arm and took a breath to regain his composure.

“I did meet Patrick through doing this but it’s not the reason that I’m with him. A gang leader was seen robbing someplace and when the police showed up to his house, they found Patrick in the basement. So, they called in our organization to help. That’s where I met him. I stayed with him because I felt protective of him, I want to keep him safe forever.”

Kevin nodded, though he still wasn't happy with Patrick and Pete's relationship.

“Where is he now? The guy that had him?”

“Dead.”

“Good.” Kevin was relieved at that but he was a little mad that he wouldn’t be able to go after him for revenge.

 

They were back at the apartment when Kevin decided to ask Patrick about what happened during the time he was in that guys basement. He didn’t want to know but he had to. It was eating him up inside that he didn’t know.

They were sitting on the couches again, “Patrick, I want you to tell me what happened to you while you were gone.”

Patrick turned to look at his brother, fear and panic clear on his face. 

“No. Why would you want to…I’m not gonna talk about it.”

Patrick moved closer to Pete, who instantly put an arm around him and kissed his head.

“I just..I need to know what happened to you during those years. I can’t explain it but it’s like there’s a void where any information about you is completely gone. Just tell me, I promise that—"

“I’m sorry Kevin but I am not ready to talk about that. I don’t know if ill ever be able to talk about it. Please drop it.” Patrick’s voice was shaking now, Pete’s arm was getting tighter and he sent a glare towards Kevin. 

Kevin sighed, he could see he wasn’t getting anywhere at the moment, “Well, I’m uh…I’m gonna go check into my hotel. I’ll see you later.”

“Kev wait, I didn’t mean for you to leave, I just don’t want to talk about what happened to me.”

“I know, I’m not mad at you, I just think it’s been a pretty stressful day and maybe we both need a break. Alright? I’ll come back in a couple hours and we can hang out some more.”

Patrick thought for a moment, he did feel exhausted and it was still early in the day. “Yeah. Okay, lets…lets do that.”

 

Kevin stood up to give Patrick a hug again, “I’ll see you later brother.”

“See ya.” Patrick mumbled into his shoulder.

 

When Kevin got into his taxi he pulled out his phone to double check the name of his hotel when he had an idea.

“Could you take me to the nearest hospital please?”

“You hurt sir?”

“No, just visiting someone.”

 

If they saw Patrick’s doctor in that diner then he must work close by, and if Patrick wasn’t going to tell him what happened then he was going to find out on his own.


	29. Instincts

Kevin arrived at the hospital and went straight to the reception to ask for Dr. Woods.

The doctor came out to the lobby immediately when he’d been told who wanted to see him, fearing that something had happened to Patrick.

“Kevin is it? What can I do for you? Is Patrick all right?”

“Yes, and he’s as good as he has been. That’s actually why I’m here. I want to know what happened to Patrick before he was rescued. He mentioned he was tortured but he didn’t go into specifics.”

Dr. Woods looked utterly shocked, why would this guy even want to know those things?

“I’m sorry but I can’t divulge patient information.”

“That law doesn’t apply to omegas.” Kevin knew omega’s files weren’t protected by law and he was getting more annoyed now.

The doctor was still shocked, and now confused at Kevin’s behavior. “In this hospital we like respect the privacy of our patients, omega or not.”

“Well how do I request the information? He’s my brother, that has to count for something…Patrick isn’t ready to talk about what happened to him, but I need to know. Please?”

Dr. Woods sighed, as much as he hated to admit it, Kevin was right, he could technically request the omega’s health information, that wasn’t protected. Just his more personal things like his address and ownership were kept confidential by law.

He didn’t want to share information with Kevin but he knew that if the alpha did file a request he would likely be granted access based on the family relationship and Patrick’s omega status alone. And he figured, he could trust Kevin. Afterall, Pete had let him near Patrick so that must mean he’s alright.

“Okay, I’ll show you his medical file but make it fast.”

Kevin followed Dr. Woods back to his office and waited as the doctor dug through a drawer looking for the file.

“Ah, here it is.”

The file was dense, when Kevin opened it he almost threw up on the spot.

There were pictures. Pictures of Patrick when he was rescued. He was thin, like a skeleton, with broken skin pulled tight around his bones. He was bloody and he had bruises all over…

“As you can see, he was beaten quite severely, both old and new scars. He was malnourished, weighing just about 80 lbs. He had been starved and many of his bones were either broken or had healed improperly from old breaks. And he …he had been raped.”

The doctor stopped talking, waiting for Kevin to react or say something, but the alpha was just staring at the file. He had started shaking, tears were threatening to fall any moment. How could anybody hurt anyone like this, especially a person like Patrick?

He flipped the pages, not wanting to look at the photos anymore, then he noticed a hand written piece of paper, 

 

‘OSR volunteer Pete Wentz stayed with patient 

since arrival- has been protective and supportive

-patient responding positively to company.’

 

“Pete was there the whole time?”

The doctor smiled for the first time since they sat down, Pete was one of the happier parts of Patrick’s journey to health.

“Yes, he walked Patrick out of that house himself, stayed with him in the ambulance and then didn’t leave his side until he was discharged.”

Kevin was conflicted by this. He was internally thankful that Patrick wasn’t alone in the hospital, but he still didn’t like that the alpha had attached himself to Patrick so quickly. The way Kevin saw it Pete must’ve taken advantage of his brother. 

He knew what his brother had said about the alpha, that he loved him, but that didn’t make him trust Pete. He wasn’t sure if it was jealousy he felt towards Pete, jealous because after all this time of Patrick being gone, his own brother was more comfortable with a stranger than himself, but he wished he could’ve been there for Patrick too, but he didn’t even know he was alive until yesterday.

He knew he wanted to protect Patrick, after everything that happened to him, he didn’t want to let him get hurt again. Even if it meant keeping him away from Pete. He had to make sure that no other alpha could ever hurt Patrick.

 

He finished looking through the file in a mostly numb and unstable frame of mind. 

When he left he went back to his hotel, needing to rest, or at least figure out his next move. Their mother and Ben should be here. But he needs to check with Patrick before he just invites them out.

 

Meanwhile…

When Kevin had left, Patrick climbed into Pete’s lap and tightly hugged his neck. 

“You wanna talk about today Tricky?”

“Maybe…Right now I just want cuddles.”

Pete smiled and stood up with Patrick hanging on him like a koala, “Anytime baby.”

He carried Patrick into their room and laid down on the bed, with Patrick still in top of him. 

“Scent me…please?”

“You don’t have to ask, I’ll scent you anytime you want.” Pete said as he inhaled deeply in Patrick’s neck.

“Why do you think Kevin wants to know so bad? About what happened to me.”

Pete hesitated a moment, he really didn't know, he himself was the opposite, he really didn't want to know the details, “Maybe it’s his way of coping. But hey don’t let yourself feel pressured to talk about anything if you’re not ready. Not with him, not with me, not with anybody. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Pete ended up cuddling Patrick until he fell asleep. 

 

 

It had been three hours later when they heard a knock at the door.

Andy answered it again, he knew it was Kevin because he could smell his scent on the other side of the door.

“Kevin, uh, Patrick is asleep.”

“Do you mind if I wait? I don’t mean to intrude I just, don’t want to be away from him.”

“Not at all. Come in.”

Kevin sat down on the couch and tried to distract himself by staring at the tv in front of him where Joe was watching some documentary about aliens.

It only took a minute for Kevin to realize that Pete wasn’t here.

“Where’s Pete?” His jaw was clenched as he looked over at Andy.

“He’s asleep.” Andy answered slowly, confused by Kevin’s sudden anger.

Kevin stood up, “With Patrick?”

He was beyond mad now, it was too soon for Patrick to be in bed with some other alpha.

The anger rolling off of Kevin made Joe whimper and move as close to his alpha as possible. 

Andy stood up too, pushing Joe behind him and stepping close to the other alpha’s face, “You need to calm down. Now. I understand that you are upset about Patrick and Pete being together, but I will not tolerate anybody coming into our home and upsetting a member of this pack.”

Andy had used his alpha voice, which resulted in Kevin slightly lowering his eyes in submission, he was still mad but his instincts were forcing him to bend to the other alpha’s request.

“Do you understand?” Andy still using his alpha tone, wanted to make sure he was the one in control of the situation. 

Kevin nodded, his movements rigid. “Yes sir.” He mumbled but it was enough for Andy to feel better about the situation. He backed up and turned to Joe, who was now kneeling beside the chair shaking. 

He knew that Andy’s alpha voice wasn’t directed at him, but that didn’t matter when it came to his instincts. Telling him to submit to his alpha, be good, be obedient.

Andy knelt down in front of his mate, “I’m so sorry Joe, I’m not mad at you, you’re such a good boy.” He started kissing the omega’s face and pushing his fingers through his hair.  
“C’mon, let’s get you somewhere calmer and quieter.”

He helped Joe stand up and pulled him into his side, then turned to Kevin.

“I’ll be right back.”

Kevin nodded again.

 

 

Andy led Joe into their bedroom and took a few minutes to calm him down, he wasn’t shaking anymore, but he still looked and smelled fearful.

“Can I stay in here, for a while? It’s a bit to alpha-ish out there.” Joe’s voice was small.

“Of course baby, anything you want.”

 

 

Meanwhile…

Kevin watched them leave the room and stood up following them to the hallway. He watched as Andy took Joe into one room, and tried to sniff out which room Patrick and Pete were in.

When their scents were the strongest he stopped outside of a door, then slowly and quietly he opened it and slipped inside.


	30. Major Ass

Kevin was standing just inside the door, he hadn’t expected to see what he did. He expected to find Pete doing something awful to his brother but instead he saw Pete and Patrick, both sound asleep on the bed, curled towards each other. Patrick had his head tucked under Pete’s chin and he was holding Pete’s wrists. This is definitely not what he expected to see. 

He was kind of relieved. He was still worried about Patrick, way more than he probably should be, but he couldn’t help it. How did things get so fucked up? He let out a sigh and froze when he noticed Patrick start shifting.

Patrick woke up, when he started to sit up he noticed Kevin standing by the door he jumped back a bit.

“What the hell Kev?” Patrick whisper yelled, not wanting to disturb Pete. 

“I’m—I’m sorry, we need to talk.”

“We tried that already, in case you haven’t noticed, you’ve gone batshit crazy possessive.”

“I know. I’m sorry for that but…we need to talk please?” Kevin had lost all sense of anger that brought him into the room, now he just wanted to make things right. He couldn’t lose Patrick again.

“Fine, but try to be quiet, Pete is still sleeping.” Patrick half laid back down, enough that he was still close enough for Pete to feel his body heat so he wouldn’t panic and wake up if he didn’t feel it.

“Okay. I know I’ve been kind of an overprotective ass—”

“Major ass.” Patrick interrupted.

“Major ass. I’m sorry, I just…when I found out that Pete and you were…together…I just got mad because being in a relationship that soon after everything that happened to you seemed fast. And I don’t want you to get hurt again. He’s an alpha and—”

“First off, Pete would never EVER hurt me. And if you had listened to me earlier, you would know that I am setting the pace for what we do and when in our relationship. He doesn’t try to force me into doing or not doing anything. He is a really good guy and alpha. I was afraid when I first met him because he was an alpha, but something in his eyes made me feel safe. It may seem fast to you but for me, it’s perfect. He has been helping me since the moment we met—”

“You mean since the moment he walked you out of that basement.”

“Yes, and…how did you know that?”

Kevin stopped, he fucked up, too late to back out now, “When I left earlier, I went to the hospital and saw your file.”

Patrick didn’t say anything, just stared at his brother. The look of betrayal in his eyes made Kevin want to cry and beg for forgiveness.

“Please say something.”

Patrick took a deep breath, remembering what Pete had told him. “I told you, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

“I know, I’m sorry that I crossed a line, I just, I needed to know.”

Pete stirred lightly, but stayed unconscious. Patrick smiled at him and started absent mindedly playing with his hair. 

“I love him. And as for what happened to me, I wish you hadn’t looked at my file, it probably just made your opinion worse. But do me a favor, look at me, how I am now, and think about my file.”

“Patrick, I don’t want—”

“Just do it.”

“Fine.”

“Do you see a difference? Between the way I am now and the way I looked in my file?”

Kevin thought a minute. Patrick really did look better. He was a healthy weight, he didn’t have any bruises or cuts, no blood, he barely looked like the same person.

“You’re better?”

“And do you know why?”

Kevin stayed silent. Noticing that it was a rhetorical question.

“It’s because of Pete. He saved me in more ways than I can even describe.” Patrick leaned down and kissed Pete’s forehead. The alpha stayed unconscious but let out a hum and nuzzled closer to the omega.

Kevin sighed. He really fucked up. Patrick obviously cared about Pete, whether he liked it or not he’d have to accept it.

“Patrick, I’m sorry, I came in here with the intention of confronting Pete and convincing you to come home to Chicago with me. I see now that it would’ve been pointless.”

“Kevin, I appreciate you wanting to protect me, I really do, but there is no way that you would ever be able to convince me to leave.”

“So I’ve noticed.” For the first time in the conversation Kevin smiled. A genuine smile that had Patrick smiling.

“I really do love him ya know. And I know he loves me too.”

“I’m happy that you found someone like Pete, but it’s gonna take me some time to get used to the idea. I have a hard time not picturing you as a thirteen year old.”

“Ha. If you reacted like this than I wonder what mom or Ben will do.”

Kevin then realized that he hadn’t asked Patrick about them yet.

As if he could read his brother’s mind Patrick says, “Call them. Tell them to come out.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to rush you.”

“You sound like Pete now.” Patrick teased, Kevin just rolled his eyes.

“Don’t you want to call?”

“No. I was never good at talking on the phone, I don’t think I’d be able to hold it together long enough to get through the call. That’s why I had Pete call when you answered before.”

“Alright. I’ll call Ben, have him bring her out.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything for you.”

 

“Does this mean we can stop yelling at each other every time we meet?” Pete’s voice rung through the room.

Patrick raised his eyebrows and looked down at him, “And just how long have you been awake?”

“Since, “I know he loves me too".” Pete smiled.

Patrick rolled his eyes but squeezed Pete’s hand.

“I hope so. It still might take me awhile to be comfortable but, I guess I trust you Pete.”

“Thanks.”

 

They all got up to go back out to the living room, when they opened the door, Andy was standing in the hallway smirking.

“Good to know I don’t need to crack anybody’s skull today.”

“How long have you been out there?”

He had been waiting outside the door, just in case Patrick or Pete needed help.

“Since I heard the door close.” And with that Andy walked away still smirking. 

Kevin looked to Pete and Patrick, “Is he always that intimidating?”

Pete just laughed and shook his head, following after Andy.

Patrick turned to his brother, “Well, lets make the call and have ourselves a reunion.”


	31. Kiss Me

Andy and Joe went to pick up a pizza for dinner while Kevin sat in the living room with Patrick and Pete to call Ben.

Kevin pressed the call button on his brothers contact, the answer was almost immediate.

“Kevin? You okay? What the hell have you been doing?”

“I left you a note, didn’t you get—”

“All it said was ‘going to California, will call with more details’, what the hell is that supposed to mean, why the hell did you even go out there?”

Ben didn’t sound angry, more frustrated and worried, maybe even a bit scared. It surprised Kevin because he hadn’t heard his brother use this much emotion in years.

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t tell you why until I was sure it was true.”

“Tell me what?”

Kevin hesitated a moment, looked into Patrick’s eyes, took a deep breath, “It-it’s Patrick. He’s alive. He’s in LA. I’m with him.”

It was dead silence on the other end of the phone for a long minute.

“Kevin if this is some kind of joke, I will actually kick your ass.” His voice was shaky now.

“It’s not a joke. I thought it was too when I found out, that’s why I had to make sure it was true before I told you or mom. But it is, he really is here.” 

Kevin was starting to get emotional too, the events of the day catching up to him in full force.

“Is he…I mean is he okay? Is-is he hurt, is he safe—”

“He’s fine. He’s not quite ready to talk on the phone yet. And,” Kevin looked up a Pete, “He’s more than safe.”

A shaky breath came through the line, “I’ll bring mom out there tomorrow. I don’t want to tell her just yet, at least not until were there together.”

“Okay, when you get a flight text me the information, I’ve got a hotel room you can both just stay in with me for now.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow, and…tell Patrick that—”

“He can hear you.”

“I’ve really missed you little brother.”

Patrick had unshed tears resting in his eyes and he looked up from the phone at Kevin and nodded.

“He says he missed you too.”

 

The rest of the night was uneventful, when it got late enough for Kevin to leave, he hugged Patrick six times before finally making it out the door.

Patrick walked up to Pete and buried his face in the alpha’s chest. Pete just wrapped his arms around his shoulders and squeezed him close.

Despite taking a nap earlier, Patrick still felt exhausted. Mentally anyway. He just wanted to crawl into bed with Pete and hibernate for a few eons. But his mother and brother were coming tomorrow, and he was too anxious. 

Six years of not seeing his mother might as well be a billion. He almost felt like it wasn’t true. He had that fear than only really good news can bring, the fear that he might wake up and still be in that basement.

 

When he and Pete went to bed, he laid still, listening to Pete’s breathing even out. It was calming, something pleasant to focus on instead of his own insecurities.

He was worried that Ben or his mother might be mad at him for not just going home or calling them too. He knew it was silly, but if either of them had answered the phone instead of Kevin, then they might be here. And instead they would all be waiting for Kevin to show up tomorrow. 

He was also afraid of how they would react to Pete. Kevin seemed mostly fine now but he hadn’t liked Pete to begin with. He was worried about what Ben would do. Patrick felt way more comfortable getting in Kevin’s face. Ben was very intimidating even when they were kids. If he didn’t know that Ben wouldn’t hurt him, he would be scared. 

It made Patrick thankful that Andy was here too. If Kevin had been intimidated by Andy, then maybe Ben would at least have someone to match his alpha-ness. He didn’t like the idea of them fighting, but if Ben made any kind of threat towards Pete then he was glad that Andy had his back.

It was almost 4am when Patrick fell into a restless sleep.

 

 

When morning came, Patrick woke up before Pete. For awhile he just stayed in his alpha’s embrace, watching his chest expand, his eyes fluttering with whatever dream he was having. He realized that putting all of his minds focus on Pete was like dropping an anchor in an ocean. Pete calmed him, his voice, his eyes, his face. Everything and anything Pete.

He wanted to try something but didn’t want to make Pete uncomfortable.

He really wanted to kiss him.

They hadn’t kissed on the lips yet. He knew it was because Pete didn’t want to make the first move in fear of rushing things, but truthfully Patrick wanted to kiss Pete. He just didn’t know how to go about it. He was afraid he would be bad at it. But if Pete is unconscious than maybe he can get away with it and have little embarrassment. 

On the other hand, he knew that Pete would never do that to him. He didn’t want to take advantage of the alpha, even though he’s pretty sure Pete would be fine with it he didn’t want to rush the alpha either.

Patrick was so caught up in his head that he jumped when he heard Pete’s voice cut through the silence.

“I can hear you thinking ya know.” The alpha’s eyes were still closed, his breathing still even, Patrick wondered how long he had been awake.

“What’s wrong Tricky?”

Patrick blushed, he couldn’t help it, Pete’s morning voice mixed with his nickname for the omega made Patrick feel fuzzy.

“Pete, can I ask you something?”

Pete huffed, “Anything baby.” He mumbled, his eyes still closed.

“Will you kiss me?”

Pete opened his eyes wide at that and stared at Patrick for a moment.

“I would love to but are you sure?”

“I’m positive. I want you to be my first kiss.”

Pete raised an eyebrow at that. First? Surely Patrick had been kissed before.

Patrick noticed Pete’s confusion, “I was never kissed before I was sold to…ya know. And my owne…he never kissed me either.”

Pete was shocked at this new information. But he was beyond pleased. He would get to be the first one and ONLY one to kiss Patrick.

“Patrick I would be honored to kiss you.”

“So cheesy Petey.”

“You have no idea.”

“I’m probably gonna be bad at it.”

“It’s cute that you think that’s possible.”

Patrick blushed again. “So how do we do this?”

Pete leaned a bit closer but then pulled back.

“Not like this. Were gonna do this right. After we brush our teeth, in a nice neutral place.”

Patrick got the first part but, “A neutral place?”

“Yeah, our first kiss shouldn’t be in a bed, it should be somewhere less suggestive, less serious, more relaxed, and impartial. You can stop it at anytime and if you don't like it then the memory won't be tied to our bedroom. Hence, a neutral place.”

Patrick chuckled at Pete's change in tone, fifteen seconds ago he was joking but now he looked as serious as a lawyer, “Boy you really know how to go from 0 to 100 quick don’t ya?”

Pete made a mock offended noise, “Me? I don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh sure.” Patrick rolled his eyes.

“C’mon, get ready and we’ll go out.” Pete rolled out of bed and started getting dressed.

“Where?”

“Now what fun would it be if I told you?”

“Peeeeeeteeey please?”

“We are going to have our first kiss.”


	32. Boyfriend?

Pete and Patrick made their way out of the apartment, Pete sent a mischievous grin towards Andy when they passed in the hallway.

Once outside, Patrick stopped and turned to look at Pete, “Well, where to?”

Pete walked over to the curb where his car was parked and stepped back as he opened the door, “You’ll see.”

 

Patrick smiled and lightly shook his head, obediently sliding into the seat. He watched in mild amusement as Pete jogged around to the driver’s side.

Once they pulled onto the road Pete glanced over at Patrick, he was staring out the window, he seemed nervous but Pete honestly didn’t know if it was them kissing soon or his family coming in later. Probably both he guessed. He turned back to the road, when Patrick spoke up.

“I still think I’m gonna be bad at it.”

So that was what’s bothering him, Pete thought. He couldn’t help but smile though.

“Tricky there is not a possibility of that. Any kiss with you will be amazing.”

“But I don’t know how to kiss.” He said softly and pouted.

When Pete came to a red light he turned to face Patrick more fully, and noticed just how nervous the omega was.

“Hey,” he said trying to get him to look over, “C’min Trick look at me.”

The omega obeyed, although still pouty and nervous.

“We do not have to do this yet if your not ready. I promise it is entirely your decision, I won’t—”

“I want to. I have wanted to kiss you for so long now, I just, what if I’m really really bad at it and you never want to kiss me again. I know you say ‘it’s not possible’ but your opinion is kind of biased. And I’m sorry I’m so anxious, I don’t mean—"

“Patrick, first off, don’t ever, EVER, apologize for your feelings, they are completely valid one-hundred and ten percent of the time. Secondly, I have wanted to kiss you and hug you and protect you and cuddle you since the moment I looked into those pretty eyes of yours. Thirdly, my opinion on your kissing is that it is phenomenal because they’re with you and I love you. And there is nothing that anybody, including even you that will be able to change my mind on any of these points.”

 

Pete had held eye contact with Patrick throughout his rant, wanting to make sure he knew just how serious he was. It seemed to work because Patrick nodded and smiled at him, he seemed to have calmed down quite a bit, his scent returned to that amazing smell that makes Pete see stars.

 

“I love you too Petey.”

Patrick couldn’t believe he got so lucky, he still really wanted to make his first kiss perfect but, he didn’t feel as pressured knowing that Pete already loved them. 

He just hoped that his mom and brother would be calmer about Pete being his…future mate I guess, Patrick realized that they hadn’t really discussed what they were. 

Were they boyfriends? Surely, they aren’t just roommates, but they are best friends now, even without having said it, Patrick wanted to be boyfriends with Pete. Why hadn’t the alpha asked him yet?

…

Of course! Patrick wanted to mentally slap himself. He asked to take things slow. He had technically asked Pete to be his alpha, but he still wanted to be able to say boyfriend too.

Pete had driven them out of the city, and was starting up a mountain road when Patrick zoned back in. He looked over at Pete, who was humming along to the radio, he definitely wanted this.

 

When the road turned from pavement to dirt, Patrick was surprised, this didn’t seem like a place Pete would know about.

When the road ended completely, and Pete shut of the engine he was even more confused. 

Pete walked around to Patrick’s door and opened it for him, the omega chuckled lightly, “I could probably do that myself ya know.”

“It’s more romantic this way.” And with that Pete grabbed his hand and started leading him through some trees to a path that was somewhat overgrown with grass and roots.

Patrick kept glancing up at Pete, who was smiling widely, swinging their connected arms between them. Pete stopped and used his free arm to push some branches up and motioned for Patrick to go through.

It was amazing. Beautifully perfect. A small clearing surrounded by tall trees. There were wildflowers everywhere, the sun was shining just right, it looked like a small piece of some kind of heaven. 

“I come up here when things get a bit too much for me down there. It’s peaceful. Nobody else ever really comes up here, not that I know of, I’ve never smelt anyone else’s scents in here. At night if you lay down in the middle you can see the stars. Something else that the city lights take away from you.”

Pete stood back shifting his weight back and forth as Patrick walked a few steps to look around. 

“Pete this is…this is unbelievable.”

Pete sighed in relief, “I’ve uh…never brought anybody here before.”

Patrick was shocked, “Not even Andy or Joe?”

“No, I mean if they really wanted to see it then I would probably give in and say yes but, it’s nice to have a place where I can be alone with my thoughts and clear my head.”

“Are you sure you want me here then?” Patrick looked a bit worried now, “I don’t want to ruin—”

“You could never ruin anything. Besides, most of my thoughts have been about you lately.”

Patrick very quickly remembered why they were here.

He walked up to Pete and took his hand, pulling him towards the center of the clearing, “I love you. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“I love you too.”

Pete put his hands hesitantly around Patrick, resting one arm around his waist and the other so his hand was between the omega’s shoulder blades. Patrick wrapped his arms around Pete’s neck and rested their foreheads together. 

Pete’s breathing was changing now, more ragged, more intense. He was finally gonna do it. He was finally gonna kiss his soon to be mate.

They could both feel each other’s breath on their lips but neither wanted to make the first move, Patrick because he didn’t want to do it wrong and Pete because he didn’t want to rush Patrick.

“You can stop this anytime you want.”

“Never.”

“Then can I ask you something first?”

“Anything.”

“Be my boyfriend?”

They both opened their eyes to stare into each other’s for a moment.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” 

Patrick pressed himself closer to his, well now boyfriend.

“Kiss me Petey?”

Pete tightened his arms around him and leaned in.

Their lips pushed together. Gentle and firm at the same time. It wasn’t rushed, it was calm. But they both felt like a jolt of electricity had been shot through them. 

There wasn’t any tongue at first. Just a gentle touch at first, a touch that made them both pull back smiling. They did this a few more times, and when Pete realized that Patrick wasn’t pulling back, he moved to deepen it a bit. 

He brushed his tongue out along Patrick’s bottom lip, not enough to scare him, just enough to ask for permission, which he was granted when Patrick let out a moan and parted his lips a bit.

A little got a little more. Soon they were making out. Only stopping when Patrick pulled back to breath. He looked into Pete’s eyes, he couldn’t look away. They were blown wide, his pupils dilated to twice their size. 

They were panting a bit, until Pete spoke up.

“Was that too much?” Pete sounded genuinely worried.

Patrick shook his head. “That was perfect.”

Pete smirked. “I told you. I told you it was impossible for you to be bad at it.” 

Patrick just smiled and leaned in to give another peck to his boyfriend’s lips.

 

Oh yeah. Today is gonna be a good day.


	33. Let's Talk About Sex

They made it back to the apartment around 11. Patrick had two hours before his mom and brother were due to arrive. To say he was excited was an understatement, but he couldn’t stop the smile on his face, or the blush that covers his cheeks. 

His nerves about seeing his family were mostly suppressed now, buried under his happiness and excitement for everything that happened with Pete.

He was still buzzing from the fact that he kissed his boyfriend. Pete was his boyfriend now. And he kissed him. Multiple times.

When they stepped inside the front door, they were met with loud moans and whines. Patrick groaned and drug his hand over his face.

“Haha c’mon Trick, they’re just having some fun.” Pete couldn’t help but laugh at Patrick’s reaction to hearing their roommates having sex.

“Besides, with your mom and brothers being in here later, they’re probably just trying to get it out of their system before we have company.”

Another, rather loud moan was heard.

“I get that but…they’re so loud.”

“Well they are future rock stars, I would be concerned if they weren’t loud.” Pete said as seriously as he could.

He didn’t want to hear his friends having sex either but seeing how it made Patrick blush made him forget his own thoughts and focus on teasing his boyfriend.

Patrick had rolled his eyes and groaned, realizing what Pete was doing.

Patrick walked passed him to sit on the couch, Pete laughed quietly behind him but followed and sat down right against his boyfriend.

They ended up cuddling on the couch watching The Twilight Zone, with the volume turned up loud enough to drown out some of the sex noises but not loud enough to make Andy and Joe feel uncomfortable.

Pete eventually tuned out their moans, being so used to hearing it over the years. Patrick on the other hand would blush and look down at his lap every time.

“They can really go a long time huh?” Patrick mumbled.

Pete smirked, not looking away from the tv, “Yeah, you should hear them when they’re havin make up sex. It’s way louder, and—”

“Enough. Enough. I don’t want to hear anymore.”

Pete laughed again when another moan was heard. This was louder than the previous had been. As embarrassing as it is, Pete knew his friends well enough to know that it meant Joe was climaxing. Another moment or two and Andy would join him.

“They’re almost done.”

“How do you know?” Patrick looked amazed at Pete’s statement.

“Joe’s moans get louder when he comes.”

Patrick was blushing a lot now. A deep crimson shade that made him look like he was wearing rouge. 

Patrick was surprised. He never really talked about sex. The only time the subject was even brought up was in health class when he was twelve. But in his own experience it was painful. It hurt. He didn’t like the idea of Joe being in pain like that. 

He also didn’t understand it. Andy didn’t seem like the type of person to hurt anybody intentionally, especially Joe. He was always so gentle and cuddly with the omega. But he didn’t want to say anything, he knew it wasn’t his place, but he couldn’t help but be worried for his friend.

About a half hour later a freshly showered Andy and Joe walked out of their room to sit next to Pete and Patrick.

Pete smirked at Andy, “So how was your day?” he said it in the sweetest, most innocent way possible.

Andy smirked right back, “Spectacular. How bout yours? From the blush on Tricky’s face I’d say it was pretty great.”

All eyes were on Patrick now, he blushed harder and stared into his lap, he could not make eye contact with them.

“It was perfect.” Pete’s voice was gentle now, he grabbed Patrick’s hand, “We’re officially boyfriends now.”

“Yess!” Joe threw his arms around Patrick and nuzzled into his neck.

Andy patted Pete on the shoulder and smiled, all sarcasm gone for now.

 

“What time is your family getting here?” Joe asked.

Patrick hesitated for a moment, surprised that Joe was still so calm even after sex.

“Uh, supposed to be around 1.”

“Good. We have a bit of time left to clean up a bit.” Andy said as he looked at Pete.

“Why? It looks clean to me.” Pete gestured around with a wave of his hand.

“For us, yes. Were four dudes that don’t care about those things as much as we should, but Patrick’s mother is a lady. A lady who needs to know that her son is safe and being cared for in a home that doesn’t look like a frat house.”

Pete caved at Andy’s request, he definitely wanted to make a good impression, at least a better than the one than he made with Kevin.

Pete stood up, “Alright, lets all get to it.”

“Actually, I mean you and me. Joe needs to rest, and Patrick needs to keep him company. So you and me are cleaning. Comprende?”

Pete sighed, he wouldn’t argue with that logic, “Yes captain.” He gave a mock salute and started gathering empty soda cans and fast food bags.

Andy rolled his eyes but joined in, moving to the kitchen to start in there.

 

Joe turned to Patrick, “Well, we’ve got some time to kill. Let’s go talk.”

Truthfully, Joe had noticed how uncomfortable Patrick was when he came out of his room. The other omega was staring at his lap, not, making eye contact and had a blush dark enough to look like paint. He hadn’t thought much of the blush, Patrick seemed so innocent that hearing sex probably would make him shy. But avoiding eye contact and acting as nervous as he did in the hospital was worrying him. He just wanted to make sure everything was alright between him and Patrick.

They went onto their porch. Only a porch in the sense that it was outside and connected to their home. It was actually their fire escape. But nobody ever used it so when they moved in they threw some old cushion’s out there and called it a porch.

“Patrick are you okay? I’m sorry if it made you uncomfortable, ya know, hearing…us.”

“No…well I mean…I was just worried about you.” Patrick still hadn’t looked up from his lap.

Joe was beyond confused. Why would Patrick be worried about him?

“I don’t understand.”

Patrick sighed. “I just…when my own…when he made me have sex it was really painful and I don’t like to think about you being in pain.” 

The last of his words were said quickly, running together with no breath in between. But Joe heard him. He stared at Patrick. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. He knew Patrick had been raped but…he hadn’t realized that Patrick thought all sex was like that.

“Patrick look at me.”

Joe waited a long moment until Patrick raised his head to meet his eyes.

“Patrick, what happened to you was not sex. Okay, it was rape. Sex happens because two people want it to happen. And it ends when just one of them says so. It doesn’t have to be painful. For me it never is. Andy would never hurt me like that. He makes sure to take care of me before, during and after sex. It’s never painful because we don’t want it to be.”

Joe’s voice was calm but firm. Steady, like he was talking to a scared child trying to reassure him that monsters weren’t hiding in the closet.

“I know that Andy would never hurt you on purpose. But how does sex not hurt?” Patrick looked up at Joe, so innocently that it was hard to believe they were even talking about sex.

Joe now realized that he would be giving Patrick ‘the talk’.

He sighed to himself, well this is gonna be interesting.

“Um…when you have sex you take precautions to make sure that pain is as minimal as possible.”

Patrick had a confused yet curious look on his face so Joe continued, “So umm…like either Andy will do it or sometimes I will, um…stretch myself so that when we have sex its not as…tight and it hurts less because there is more give and more um…stretch. We also use lube. Which makes things…slide easier. So nothing is…feeling like a dragging or burning inside.”

Joe watched Patrick’s face for a moment. He looked shocked. It made Joe feel horrible that Patrick didn’t know these things. It meant they were never used on him. No wonder sex scared him so much.

 

Patrick sat still like a marble statue. He was relieved that Joe wasn’t in pain but…he just couldn’t fathom how sex could be so involved. He had been used to being tied or held down and fucked as he was.

Talking about sex with Joe had been a lot less embarrassing than he thought it would be. He was kind of relieved knowing that he could come and talk to Joe about sex. It definitely seemed that there was a lot he didn’t know.

“You should talk to Pete about this too.” Joe tried to sound casual.

Patrick nodded. He knows he should, Pete was his boyfriend and future alpha after all.

“I know, it’ll be awkward though. You guys all seem to talk about sex so casually and I…I mean I blush at anything remotely sexual. It's embarrassing.”

“All the more reason to talk. You’ll feel more comfortable talking about these things later if you get his off your chest now.”

“Would you…I mean you can say no obviously but would you be there with Pete when I talk about it? I just don’t want to do it alone and I mean you already know the problem so if I chicken out you can fill in some blanks. Plus—”

“Patrick, of course ill be there if that’s what you want.” Joe hesitated, he had an idea, “Do you want Andy there too? That way he can answer any questions too. You can say no. I just thought it would help to hear his side since you heard mine.”

“That sounds good if Andy is willing to do it. I don’t want to make him uncomfortable. But not right now. Not right before my mother gets here.” 

Joe nodded, “Andy doesn’t really get embarrassed. And we’re a pack. If and when you need us we will always be there.”

 

They hadn’t realized just how long they’d been talking until Andy came to knock on the glass, “Pete just got a text from Kevin, they’ll be here in a few minutes."

Patrick unconsciously grabbed Joe’s hand. The other omega didn’t seem to mind, he just squeezed back and rubbed his thumb over Patrick’s knuckles. 

They climbed back through the window and grinned approvingly at the progress Andy and Pete had made. It really did look clean. No more empty cans or boxes or bags. No more random clothes lying around.

"You two could do this for a living." Joe teased.

There was a moment of laughs then there was a knock at the door.

Patrick squeezed Joe’s hand tighter as Andy opened it.

Kevin stepped in, looking exhausted. Followed by a taller, more muscly man, and a short woman, staring straight ahead as though she were totally withdrawn from the outside world, hidden away inside herself.

Patrick stepped closer to them,

 

“Mom.”


	34. Have You Ever Wanted to Disappear?

“Mom.”

Patrick looked at each of their faces. Only meeting eyes with Ben. His mother still hadn’t really acknowledged that she even heard him. 

“Uh…she has episodes where she kind of zones out for a while.” Kevin supplied.

Ben stepped closer to Patrick stopping just a few inches away. Patrick looked up at his brother, he could tell he was trying not to cry, Ben was always like that, not wanting to show many emotions, especially around strangers. His face was calculating, as if he wasn’t quite sure to believe his eyes yet or not. He had an intense stare, one that made Patrick shift on his feet and look at his hands.

“Benny, i-it’s good to see you again.” Patrick spoke first, glancing up at Ben again.

“Its really you.” 

Patrick nodded. He wanted to hug his brother, but Ben was standing as stiff as ever, he didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.

What Patrick and Kevin, even their mother didn’t know was that Ben had carried a lot of guilt about what happened to Patrick. He knew his father was angry about how Patrick presented, and he knew it was a matter of time before he did something to the omega, he just didn’t know what. 

That day that Patrick disappeared he knew something was wrong. He texted Patrick to check in and when he didn’t get a response, he rushed home from school to check himself. All he found was his father sitting in the den, reading the paper, acting as though nothing had changed. 

Ben had searched the entire house, then searched the neighborhood, even tracking down Patrick’s friends Brendon and Gerard to ask if they had seen him. He went to the police but was told that omegas don’t qualify as ‘missing people’ because they are considered property.

Ben had blamed himself, he should’ve stayed home with Patrick that day, or gone home earlier.

A tear had finally managed to spill down the side of his face.

“I’m so sorry Patrick.” Ben whispered as he pulled Patrick to his chest. Squeezed him tightly and kept repeating the words ‘so sorry’. 

Patrick was confused. Why would Ben be sorry, he isn’t the one who sold him, or tortured him. He didn’t know what to do so he just hugged back as tight as he could.

After a few minutes, when Ben had calmed down, they pulled apart and just stared at each other.

“Well, I’m-I’m glad you’re not hurt anyway. We thought he had killed you, we were so worried…”

He trailed off when he noticed Patrick’s body tense and his face dropped.

“Patrick what? What is it? What happened?”

Patrick looked over his shoulder to where Pete, Andy and Joe were standing, then over to Kevin, who also tensed.

His mother was still zoned out sitting next to Kevin on the couch.

Patrick did not want to have this conversation now. Not in front of his mother, whether she was paying attention or not. 

“Um…I don’t think—”

Ben cut him off by grabbing Patrick’s arms in a vice grip, Pete shifted, he was gonna step forward, but Andy grabbed his wrist to stop him. “Give them a moment.”

Ben was slipping into his alpha voice, “No. You are telling me now. What happened?” he leaned in close to Patrick’s face.

Patrick whimpered and flinched away.

It was enough for Pete.

Pete pulled away from Andy and pushed himself between Patrick and Ben. The sudden movement was enough to make Ben let go of the omega’s arms and step back.

Ben and Pete stared at each other, Pete was glaring but Ben just looked confused. 

“Don’t ever do that to him again.” Pete growled, his own alpha voice coming out.

Ben opened his mouth to tell him off when he saw Patrick wrapped his arms around Pete’s stomach from behind. 

“Please don’t fight. Please.” Patrick’s voice was small, but it was enough for Pete to drop his defense and twist around to coddle and coo at the omega.

Ben stared at them in shock and looked over at Kevin, but when he saw his brother’s calm and knowing look, he turned back to Pete.

He noticed the way that Pete and Patrick were holding on to each other, how they were looking at each other. And he had only ever seen an alpha protect an omega like that when they really cared for them. He softened his stance and tried to put out calming scents.

“I’m sorry. To both of you. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. Um, I don’t think we’ve been introduced properly. I’m Ben.” he said as he extended his hand to Pete.

Pete looked at Ben’s hand hesitantly, but after a squeeze from Patrick he reached out shook it. “Pete Wentz.”

There was a moment of silence again as the alphas took each other in. 

Patrick spoke up, hoping to relieve the tension, “And this,” he turned and gestured to the two behind them, “This is Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Andy replied. Joe hid behind Andy's shoulder.

“You as well.” Ben looked back to Patrick.

“So um, have you been here this whole time?” Ben asked, regretting it when he saw all the tense faces in the room.

“Okay, um, we all need to talk obviously.”

“Maybe we should bring mom around before we do that.” Kevin chimed in.

Patrick nodded. “There’s some things that happened that…I’m not entirely…ready to talk about in detail. These guys and Kevin already found out everything but um, some of it’s really embarrassing to talk about.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed with me. We’re family.” Ben dismissed as he moved to sit in front of their mother.

“Mom, mom, can you hear me? I need you to focus now, Patrick…Patrick is here. He’s alive mom. You were right.”

There were a few moments of silence. Everyone was seemingly holding their breath waiting to see what happened.

His mother sighed and looked at Ben, “Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry, I must’ve zoned out again. What’s wrong? You look stressed, you should relax.” She nodded, more to herself and reached out to cup his face.

“Mom, Patrick is here.” Ben said more firmly.

She paled, her bottom lip trembled a bit, “That is not funny. You know better than to talk about your brother like that.”

“Mom he really is here.” Kevin tried. “Look.” He pointed at Patrick, who was currently frozen to his spot.

She sighed at Kevin but turned her head anyway, her eyes widened when she saw Patrick. He didn’t look much like he did six years ago but his eyes still looked like himself.  
Slowly she stood up. Patrick was silently crying now, tears were going down his face but he didn’t make a sound.

“no, no you aren’t…you can’t be…” She mumbled.

“Mom, it’s okay. I know this is probably hard.” Patrick wanted to be strong for his mother.

“Patrick…”

“Yes.”

She walked slowly around the couch to stop in front of him. She looked him over, reaching out to touch his shoulders and move up to cup his face. She was crying too now.

“My baby.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a hug.

Kevin and Ben let out sighs of relief. They had been waiting for this reunion for so long…

 

Eventually they pulled apart just enough to still hold onto each other’s arms and look into each other’s eyes. Patrick became aware that she paused and was looking over his shoulder in concern.

“Oh mom, I want you to meet some people. This is Pete, Andy and Joe.” Patrick said shyly.

His mother smiled pleasantly at them. It was hard, she didn’t really trust any alphas besides her sons anymore. She picked up the fact Joe was an omega. He looked to be in good health, she figured these alphas probably don’t abuse him with the way he was holding Andy’s hand and resting his head on the alpha’s shoulder.

 

Once everyone had settled down and took seats on the couches, Ben stood up again, “Okay, so we really need to talk.”

“Jesus Ben can’t it wait a minute?” Kevin begged. He just got his family back together, he didn’t want to ruin it by bringing up such dark conversations.

“It’s been six years, were not waiting anymore.”

Patrick sighed, he was sitting between his mother and Pete, but his nerves were through the roof.

“It’s okay, take your time, go at your own pace.” His mother whispered. 

He nodded and gave a tight smile, “Well, if I can’t…finish the story, um…could someone else take over please?” He turned to Pete, Andy and Joe, who all nodded.

“Okay, um…I’m not sure where to start.”

“What happened when you first went missing?” Ben, ever so subtle.

Deep breath, “Dad, he um, he sold me to somebody very bad.” He felt his mother squeeze his hand.

She was still crying, but it was slower than before and calmer now probably replaced by anger, she started shaking a bit at Patrick’s words.

“I-I…I was there for six years. He…he tortured me and…” He was afraid to say it. Afraid to say he was raped every day. Kevin knew because he had seen his medical file, Pete knew of course, and he had told Joe and Andy but saying it in front of his mother…that was worse.

“And what?” Ben pressed.

“He was raped.” Kevin spat out. He glared at Ben for asking, Pete and Joe glared at Kevin for saying it so bluntly, Patrick was staring at the floor. Andy had looked at Patricia. She was still. Paler now than before. They could all feel the emotions clouding the room. Anger, fear, sadness, it was stifling.

Pete whispered, "Are you okay? do you want to stop? It's okay if you do. Go at your pace." 

"Have you ever wanted to disappear?" Was Patrick's almost silent reply.

Pete had tightened his arm around Patrick’s waist and growled lowly at Ben. He hated seeing Patrick like this. Patrick leaned into his touch, inhaling the scent of his alpha.

Patricia took notice, seeing someone standing up for her youngest made her calm down a bit.

Patrick cleared his throat, wanting to diffuse the tension and get this over with.

When everyone sat back and looked at him, he continued.

“Yeah. That all happened for six years until about two months ago.” He wasn't going to go into a lot of detail, he didn't need to. Pete and his mom said 'his pace'. He could say as much or as little as he wanted.

He and Pete were looking at each other as he spoke as Patrick continued telling his story to everyone. 

“Then Pete, he saved me. Stayed with me in the hospital for a month. He’s healed me, still does actually. Pete became my owner so I could leave the hospital,” 

“with my consent.” He interrupted himself when he saw the look of horror and anger on his mom and Ben’s faces, “He asked me first. Him and Andy and Joe, they’ve been great, giving me something that I never thought I would have again. They're family. And Pete, well he’s my boyfriend. Someday when I’m ready he’s gonna become my alpha and I’ll officially join their pack.” 

“I really love him.” Patrick finished softly, the last part said more to Pete than anyone else.

Ben exchanged a look with Patricia, they both looked concerned, but they hadn’t started yelling or threatening Pete yet so it wasn’t exactly a negative reaction. Andy saw it as a semi-win for them.

Ben inhaled sharply and looked to their mother for her response. She was in a staring contest with Patrick.

“My baby boy, is this truly what you want? You’re sure?” She asked, hands shaking and eyes watery.

Patrick nodded quickly and decisively. “Yes. Absolutely.”

Patricia nodded at her youngest and gave a genuine smile, “Then I guess you have my blessing. For now.”

Pete and Patrick let out sighs of relief. Kevin even let out a small smile, Ben stared at Pete.

Before Ben could respond Patrick jumped in, “It is my choice. I’m not going to have this argument twice. I love Pete. I love Andy and Joe. I am not leaving. I’m sorry if you can’t see that but I’m not going to put up with you insulting my boyfriend or trying to fight him like Kevin. Pete would never hurt me. The only way you will lose me again is if you chose to fight us on this.” 

Patrick once again shocked everyone, especially Ben. 

Silence took over the room again.

Ben smiled, “Actually, I was going to say I approve.”

Patrick stared up at his big brother in shock, “Really?”

“Haha yes really. But Pete,” Ben turned his attention back to the alpha now, “If you ever do anything to hurt him, I will not hesitate to kill you. I can’t…I can’t lose my brother again.”

Pete didn’t look angry, he didn’t even look bothered by what Ben had said, “I would kill myself before I ever hurt him.”


	35. Catching Up

They spent the next few hours catching up, various conversations filling a void of tension that for now was gone.

 

“We stayed in the same house hoping that if you ever found your way home again that we would be there.”

“We never stopped looking for you. We never thought you would be all the way out here in LA.”

 

“We’re a band actually. Andy drums, I play bass, he plays guitar, and as of a couple weeks ago Patrick is our singer.” 

“We actually have a show next month.”

“We’d love to see you perform.”

 

“Pete and I volunteer with an organization called Omega Safety and Rights. That’s how he met Patrick.”

“Pete seems like a really nice guy.”

“He is.”

 

“Anybody hungry? We could order something we also live pretty close to a lot of restaurants.”

“Why don’t we just order pizza again. It’ll be quicker than trying to find a place.”

“Plus we’ll have privacy to continue catching up.”

 

"Joe you havent eaten much are you okay?"

"Just tired."

 

“I’m so sorry Patrick, I should’ve been there to protect you that day.”

“Don’t blame yourself, there’s nothing you could’ve done. They probably would’ve killed you if you tried to stop them.”

 

“No I should’ve taken you with me to the store.”

“There’s really nothing any of you could’ve done.”

 

“Andy is our pack alpha. Joe has been his mate for a while now.”

 

“Do either of you have mates?”

“Well Patrick our dear big brother almost has a mate but refuses to grow a pair and ask her.”

“Oh, hush up, you don’t have one either.”

 

“It’s so good to know you’re alive and safe.”

"I'm proud of you."

 

11:47pm

 

“One time me and…saw that Ben was….and then I caught…in the….for day…”

Patrick started to doze off while his brothers told childhood stories to his friends. He wanted to stay awake and visit with his family, but it had been such a long day and he was exhausted. His head was resting on Pete’s shoulder, he could feel the vibrations in his chest whenever he laughed at something. It was comforting, so comforting that he let his eyes slip closed as sleep got the better of him.

Pete felt Patrick lay his head on his shoulder and kissed his hair. It was only a few minutes that he felt the omega totally sag against him. He looked down to see that his eyes were closed, his breathing even.

“I think you’ve lost part of your audience.” Pete announced. Everyone looked at Patrick and let out quiet laughs and smiles.

“It has gotten pretty late hasn’t it.” Ben said as he stood up. “Let’s get back to the hotel. We could all use some rest.”

Kevin stood up too, their mother looked more hesitant, but she felt some comfort in Joe also being there, even if she didn't trust Pete much. She leaned down and kissed the side of Patrick’s head.

She looked up at Pete, “Look after him.”

“Promise.”

 

Andy followed them to the door, “It was nice meeting you.” And locked it when they were out of sight.

“I’m gonna get him to bed.” Pete announced as he turned slightly to scoop up Patrick in his arms.

"Night guys." He called as he carried Patrick to their room.

"Night Pete" Andy answered.

 

Andy watched Joe for a moment, he hasn’t been himself this evening, he’s pretty sure he knows why.


	36. Spaghetti

Joe looked almost as exhausted as Patrick.

“Joe, ready for bed baby?”

“Can we stay up just a bit? Please?”

Andy nodded, slowly walked over to sit next to his mate. “Wanna talk about it?”

Joe sighed and shifted so he was on Andy’s lap with his face hidden in the alphas neck. 

“I’m happy for Patrick, getting to see his family again, I just…I wish my family…they’re so different.”

Andy knew exactly what he was talking about. Patrick’s family had been happy to see him, had worried about him for the past six years and celebrated when they saw him again. 

It was different with Joe’s family, they had always been abusive, and when he presented as an omega, they had kicked him out. They didn’t even let him stay during his heat.

He had spent his first heat hiding in the woods, afraid that someone would find him and rape or kill him.

After that he spent four years getting as far away as possible, sneaking into random towns at night to look for food in people’s garbage. That’s what he was doing when Andy found him.

“My family didn’t accept me as an omega.”

“You’re welcome here. Always.”

 

Flashback…

He was thirteen, he had just gone into heat not twenty minutes ago. As soon as his father smelled him he busted his bedroom door open and drug him outside, telling him to get lost and never come back.

He could barely walk with they way his heat was effecting his body.

But his adrenaline gave him enough strength to make it into the woods a little ways before he collapsed. He couldn't go into town. Someone might hurt him. He was exhausted, so he curled up under a tree and tried to sleep, his heat, the fear he had about being found and the cold air didn't help. But he fell into a restless sleep, jolting awake every time a heat wave racked his body or he heard a noise.

From then on, he walked as far as he could in the safety of the woods, resting occasionally, climbing up as high as he could if he thought he heard someone. He would sneak into towns and root through garbage to find food once a day. When his heats came, he would stock up on as much food as possible and go as far into the woods as he could, wait for it to end and then move on somewhere else.

 

4 years later...

Joe was walking through maybe the fifth ally tonight. He hadn’t found much.

He saw a dumpster behind a restaurant but when he went to look for scraps a homeless guy grabbed a cane and made to hit him, “This here is my territory! Now Get lost!”

The next dumpster he came to didn’t look very promising but it was worth a shot, as he got further down the ally he heard footsteps behind him. 

He spun around and saw a big, tall, roundish man coming towards him, “What’s a skinny omega like yourself doin off a leash huh?” He grinned at Joe, a sick predatory smirk crossing his face.

The man came closer, Joe tried to run but the man caught his arm and threw him against the brick of the building.

This was not happening. Joe was trying to convince himself it was a bad dream but every time he opened his eyes it hadn’t changed.

Then man grabbed a handful of Joe’s hair and pulled his head to the side, exposing his neck. He leaned down and started sniffing and licking at his scent gland.

Joe felt sick. He wanted to scream and run but he couldn't get out of his grip.

Then a hand slid down Joe’s back and dipped into his pants.

Joe started to say ‘NO’ but the man covered his mouth.

“Tell ya what omega, ill share some food if you hold still and be quiet.” He whispered in Joe’s ear, too close, he could feel the heat of his breath and it made him want to escape even more. Joe wanted food sure, but there was no guarantee that this guy had any, let alone was willing to share it.

Joe didn’t stop squirming, and apparently the man had enough. He tightened his grip on Joe’s hair and slammed his head back against the wall. Joe stilled for a moment but his adrenaline let him continue to push at the man’s chest.

“You slut! Can’t you follow orders like your supposed to?!?”

Next thing he knew he was on the ground, being kicked and punched. 

He wasn’t sure how long it lasted. 

He didn’t notice when he passed out.

When he woke up he was still in the ally, his shirt was ripped and his pants were undone.

He immediately thought the worst, that that creep had raped him while he was unconscious, he moved to sit up, noticing the lack of pain that would’ve shown if he had been raped.

By why had that man just stopped? He took the time to undo my pants but backed off?

He was glad he wasn’t raped but it made no sense to him.

He slowly stood up and looked around again, fearful that the man was waiting somewhere for him to wake up.

Then he saw him.

The man was laying a few yards away, unconscious, with a bloody face.

Did I fight back and not remember? He didn’t think so. Then he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He turned to see another man standing close by, but far enough that they were out of touching distance. He smelled like an alpha. He was tall and muscly, with reddish brownish hair and beard. His knuckles were bloody, and he looked concerned.

“Are you okay?”

Joe was frozen, he didn’t know what to do. He had never met an alpha that showed concern for an omega. It could be a trap. He couldn’t make himself answer.

When Joe was still silent after a moment, the bearded man moved closer a step, something in Joe’s brain was triggered and his body ran. He was curious about the stranger who didn’t seem to be focused on hurting him or getting in his pants. Why was his scent so calm? It wasn’t threatening, it was like the alpha was trying to make him feel safe. And why had he saved me from the other man?

He stopped when he legs gave out. It was another ally, but this one was empty.

A few days later, 

Joe was back on the same block again. He didn’t want to go there again but he hadn’t eaten since and he was hungry. He just hoped that the round man was gone, at least long enough for him to find something, anything to eat.

When he got closer to the dumpster, he saw one of the doors open and he immediately flinched and backed away. It was the same man as before. The one that saved him. His hand was wrapped up, and he still had that concerned look on his face.

He watched Joe for a moment, “I’m sorry if I scared you before. I didn’t mean too. I heard screaming and when I got down here you were unconscious and that guy was…” He trailed off, afraid he might upset the omega by mentioning it.

“Anyway, uh, I live in this building, um, my name is Andy, Andy Hurley. Uh…look I know you don’t know me, I just, I want to help you. I can give you some food, a bath, take care of your wounds, get you some fresh clothes, a safe place to sleep?”

Joe wanted to trust him. He really really did. All those things sounded amazing. But this was still an alpha, so far alphas had only hurt him.

Andy seemed to notice the hesitation on his face, “Look, uh, I promise, you don’t have to, and you can leave anytime you want. I’m not going to hurt you. I volunteer with OSR. Do you know what that is?”

Joe nodded lightly. He knew what it was, he had visited one of the shelter’s they run a couple years ago when it was a particularly cold night.

“Good. Good, uh, so, can I help, I mean, do you want to…”

Joe could tell Andy was trying to be nice, he scent was calming, and a bit intoxicating if Joe was being honest. 

He took a slow step forward, maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. What did he have to lose?

 

Joe followed Andy upstairs to his apartment. It looked nice, homey. It had records everywhere. With a couple guitars in the corner. Joe also picked up on another scent. Another alpha lived here besides Andy? Probably his mate, Joe thought.

Andy led him into a bathroom and turned to faucet to fill up the bath. “I’ll just go grab some clothes.”

Joe remained silent and watched him leave. The alpha was only gone a minute before he was back with a pair of boxers, some socks, sweatpants, and the softest t-shirt joe had ever touched.

The clothes smelled like Andy. Joe definitely liked it.

When the bath was full, Andy turned and asked if he wanted to be left alone or if he wanted him to stay. Joe thought about it a minute. Normally he wouldn’t want anybody to stay, especially a strange alpha but, something about having him close made him feel calm, safe even. 

“Stay.” Andy smiled lightly and nodded. He knew from his training with OSR that sometimes omegas who experienced trauma liked to be taken care of with little gestures like helping them bath or eat. He wanted to make sure Joe knew he had a choice.

When Joe started to get undressed, Andy pretended to be busy checking the temperature of the water and adding bubbles, so that the omega wouldn’t feel too exposed. He didn’t look when the omega stepped into the water. After he relaxed against the wall Andy started on his hair, using a cup to slowly pour water over his head.

Joe wasn’t sure how to react. The alpha, Andy, was being so gentle. He didn’t know alphas could be this gentle.

“So, you know my name, is it alright if I know yours?” Andy asked as he worked on washing Joe’s hair. It had been matted down and had dried blood in parts of it.

“J-Joe. Joe Trohman.” His voice was quiet, shaky, scared.

“Well Joe it is nice to meet you.”

Joe blushed and looked down, he hasn’t been able to maintain eye contact with Andy. Every time the alpha tries he looks away.

When Joe was cleaned up, he let Andy trim his hair and put bandages and cream on his cuts and bruises. He got dressed in Andy’s clothes, thankful that the alpha’s scent was on them, then followed him to the kitchen.

“Well I can make you anything you want? I’m a pretty decent cook despite what my roommate says.”

“Roommate?”

“Yeah I share the apartment with my best friend Pete. He’s on call tonight for OSR.”

Joe was relieved that it wasn’t his mate, for some reason he was already growing attached to this alpha.

“Whatever you want to make is fine.”

“Spaghetti?” 

Joe nodded, “Sounds perfect.”

It wasn’t the fanciest dinner, but it would give the omega lots of carbs and hopefully give him some more strength.

 

“How long have you been living on the streets?” Andy asked carefully as they were eating.

“Over four years. Since I presented. Omegas aren’t welcome where I’m from.” Joe said sadly.

Andy took a deep breath, he couldn’t imagine rejecting someone just because of their status. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“You’re welcome here. Always.”

 

End flashback…

 

Joe was motionless, remembering the night he met Andy.

He must’ve been crying because Andy was gently rocking them, cooing at him and kissing his neck.

Nostalgia hit Joe like a train, “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything.” Andy’s answer was immediate.

“Make us some spaghetti?”

Andy smiled into Joe’s shoulder, “Sounds perfect.”


	37. Nobody Can Make You Feel More Overwhelmed Than Family

Pete was the first awake the next morning, Patrick was still sound asleep, and he didn’t want to wake him. It was probably gonna be another long day. His family had just been reunited, and Pete doubts that they’re going to let a day pass. He wouldn’t. Now that they’re back together they probably want to make up for lost time.

He made his way to start coffee for himself and Andy but stopped when he reached the kitchen. There on the floor was Andy hisself, with Joe curled up on his chest. They are both sound asleep and there are empty bowls of what looks like the remains of spaghetti.

Pete smiled and pulled out his phone to take a picture. Andy and Joe did this sometimes, a ritual that happened usually when one of them had a rough day. He didn’t understand why it was spaghetti every time. But he didn’t need too. It was something that just the two of them did. And it always seemed to work, the following day they were usually in especially good moods. Which usually led to a night of loud sex but, if his friends were happy than Pete was fine with it.

He stared for a moment, debating whether or not to wake Andy so he could move himself and Joe into their bed, sleeping on the floor like that was bound to give him a sore back. He decided against it. Stepping over them and picking up their bowls to sit in the sink. He started the coffee pot, mentally praying it wouldn’t wake them up.

 

Turns out Patrick didn't get as much sleep as either him or Pete had wanted him to. His mother had insisted on coming over at 8am to visit with Patrick. Kevin and Ben had tried to convince her to wait a while but she refused, threatening to walk over by herself.

Andy and Joe ended up sleeping until 11am. Unusual for Andy, he was usually up early. Pete would’ve let them sleep longer but Andy and Joe had work at noon.

He knelt beside them and reached out to gently shake Andy’s shoulder. The other alpha just grunted and swatted at Pete’s hand.

“Andy, man, you gotta wake up, you’ve got work in an hour.” Pete was trying to be semi quiet. Waking up Andy was one thing but accidentally waking up Joe was like poking a porcupine. He shook the alpha’s shoulder again.

“Pete?” Andy mumbled through a yawn.

“Mornin’ sleeping beauty. You’ve got work in an hour.”

Andy huffed a laugh and went to sit up, stopping when he noticed his omega on his chest. He moved to shift Joe in his arms to stand up with him but his back twinged in pain.

“Carry him to bed please?” Pete was the only other alpha Andy ever trusted to take care of Joe besides himself.

Pete nodded, feeling guilty for not waking up Andy sooner. He scooped up Joe and looked to Andy, “You should just take the day off man.”

Andy shook his head and flicked his hand in Pete’s direction as he pulled himself up to get some coffee. Pete sighed but obeyed, carrying Joe to his and Andy’s room.

 

Joe had woken up around 1. He wasn’t surprised that Andy wasn’t in bed, his alpha was an early riser. He was surprised that Andy wasn’t in the apartment. Patrick’s mother and brothers were in the living room with the other omega while Pete was in the kitchen doing dishes.

Pete noticed him first, not waiting for the question when he saw his face, “He’s at work. If you want to go, I can walk you down.”

Joe nodded, “Let me shower first. I feel like a need one.”

“Yeah sleeping on the floor will do that to a person.” Pete teased.

 

Half an hour later Joe walked out to tell Pete he was ready to go. Patrick was sitting with his mom and brothers still, he looked like he was exhausted already. Patrick glanced up at Joe, silently begging for a way to get rescued from the conversation. 

Joe took pity, “I’m going to work, you want to—”

Before he could finish asking Patrick stood up, “Yeah, uh, were going to walk Joe to work.” 

“Well it’s a nice day for a walk.” Is all his mother said before they all stood up to follow Pete out the door.

Joe and Patrick walked ahead of everyone else. Patricia and Pete walking right behind them, she was jabbering on about how he should get Patrick chipped in case someone tries to hurt him again. Pete didn’t like hearing somebody talk about Patrick like that, and it was getting a bit overwhelming. He could tell Patrick was over whelmed too. That’s why he let her put her attention on him for a while, trying to give Patrick a break.

Kevin and Ben were walking behind everyone else, a bit tired themselves. They knew their mother meant well, but they could tell he was struggling with having her watch his every move.

 

“You doin okay?” Joe asked quietly, not wanting Patricia to hear him. 

“Yeah I guess. She’s my mom, and I love her. I’m really happy to see her again but, it all happened so fast, it’s…overwhelming, having them all here. I mean I know they all just got here but I just think I need a break.”

“I get it, anything I could do to help?”

“You did more than you know just by inviting me to walk now.”

“I really didn’t know that they would want to join.”

“Me either. She’s been treating me like a kid again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Before you woke up she had already told me what I should eat, how to dress. And she’s even talking about me like I’m not even there. She told Pete not to hold me too tight, cause apparently, “I’m fragile”. She even told him to get me a collar and leash.”

Joe was shocked, “I didn’t think she supported that kind of treatment towards omegas.”

“She doesn’t support abuse. She supports alpha’s protecting their omegas, and she thinks that those things are necessary. I know it sounds messed up, but that’s just the way she is.”

“At least you know Pete won’t actually do those things.”

“Yeah but I can tell it makes him uncomfortable. Even if he doesn’t say anything.”

“He’s a big boy, he can handle himself.” Joe said as he opened the door to the store.

 

Andy was at the back of the store hanging some new guitars on the wall, the owner, Mrs. Redding, sat behind the cash register.

“Afternoon boys.”

“Good afternoon Mrs. Redding.” Joe, Pete and Patrick responded. 

“And who are your friends?” She looked cautiously at Kevin and Ben.

Patrick spoke up, “These are my brothers, Kevin and Ben. And this is my mother, Patricia.” 

Relief flooded Mrs. Redding’s face. “Ah, well welcome.”

Joe walked away from them all to where Andy was just stepping off the ladder.

He didn’t say anything, just wrapped his arms around the alpha from behind. “Guess who?”

Andy smiled, he loved when Joe was in a playful mood, “Hmmm, Brendon Urie?”

“Curlier.”

“Slash? Wow I’m a such big fan.” Andy teased with mock excitement.

Joe laughed, “One more hint, I’m really good at sex.”

“Oh well you must be Pete Wentz.”

“Hey!” 

“Haha c’mere.” He turned around and grabbed Joe’s face to pull him in for a kiss.

They let their foreheads rest together, Andy giving a few more pecks to his lips.

When they pulled back Andy looked up at everyone standing at the register. Pete and Patrick looked like they wanted to run away and hide. Patricia was talking to Mrs. Redding, Kevin and Ben had turned to look through some records.

Andy raised his eyebrows at Joe.

“It was just me and Pete coming but Patrick looked so uncomfortable. I asked if he wanted to come along and everybody else just kinda followed. He’s anxious, his mother is upsetting him. I think he needs a break from all the family visits.”

“It would be a lot for anybody.”

 

When they left Kevin and Ben ended up buying some records, their mother, constantly reminding Pete of things regarding how to take care of an omega. He just nodded and played along. He didn’t want to upset Patrick’s family.

 

Three hours had passed back at the apartment until Kevin and Ben had had enough.

“Mom, let’s go, were going back to the hotel to have supper.” Kevin tried.

“Alright dear, let me go tell Patrick to get his things, --” 

“No, no mom he’s staying home with Pete.”

“Nonsense, he’ll come with –”

“Mother he needs space. Can’t you tell he’s a bit overwhelmed? He’s been trying to relax. Pete too. He knows how to take care of Patrick. And…I know it’s hard for you to accept it but Patrick isn’t a child anymore.” Ben said with a firm voice. 

He wasn’t angry, he wasn’t using an alpha voice, he wouldn’t do that to his mother, but he needed to make her realize that Patrick would be okay if she wasn’t with him every moment.

She didn’t say anything just stared at her oldest son for a moment before turning to Patrick. He had watched the conversation in relative shock. He was thankful for what his brothers were doing for him. Even glad that they had said what he was too scared to bring up, but now he was afraid of his mother’s reaction.

“Is this true Patrick?” She asked softly.

“I-I just…it’s been…a bit too much. I’ve uh…been feeling pretty…anxious and overwhelmed.”

“And it’s my fault?”

“No! No it’s not your fault, I’m just…I just need some time.”

“Time for what? It’s been six years!”

Patrick flinched at her tone. “I know. I know. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, forget that I—”

“No, Patrick. Don’t dismiss yourself.” Pete cut in. He had originally planned on holding his tongue but when he saw Patrick giving in he had to say something.

“Pete is right. You shouldn’t be ignoring how you feel and she should understand and respect your needs.” Ben said, although he was looking more at his mother.

Her lips pursed, “Fine. I’ll go. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She turned to Pete, “Keep him safe.”

Pete nodded slowly. He didn’t need somebody to tell him to do that, but if it made her feel better about Patrick being away from her, then he would agree.

“We’ll see ya later Patrick.” His brothers waved and followed their mother out.

 

“You okay Trick?”

“That was intense.” He said as he rubbed his temples. He had a headache. 

Pete got an idea, “Let me help you relax.”

Patrick looked up at him, he was curious, and nodded his head.

“Alright, I’ll be right back.” Pete turned and went into their bedroom.

Patrick was confused. Really confused.


	38. Cheesy

A few minutes later Pete came back and grabbed Patrick’s hand. Pulling him up from the couch and leading him through their bedroom and into their bathroom. Pete had filled up the bath and dimmed the lights with a few candles scattered around.

“You can stay in here as long as you want. Your ipod is right here if you want some noise.”

“Will you stay?” Patrick asked before he could help himself. He didn’t want to be alone right now.

“If you want me too. Anything you want.”

“I want you to stay. As long as you’re comfortable with it.”

Pete chuckled, “Of course I want to. I just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Patrick started to undress, he didn’t really think much of it. He had changed in front of Pete plenty. In the hospital he was only wearing a gown most of the time, and he had been totally naked when they first met. 

He wasn't comfortable with anyone else though. He would always blush and duck his head when doctors or nurses looked and examined him.

When Patrick relaxed into the water, Pete sat down next to the tub and watched the omega's face. He looked peaceful, a great contrast to how he looked ten minutes ago.

Pete reached out and started massaging Patrick’s shoulders. He didn’t really know what he was doing, but he wanted to help.

Patrick moaned lightly when Pete found a particularly stiff muscle in his arm. Pete slowly worked on his shoulders, his chest, and his arms. He almost thought Patrick had fallen asleep if it weren’t for the little hums coming from him. He took as much time as he thought he could, not wanting the water to get too cold. 

He turned on the faucet again to add some more hot water just to drag out the time a bit and moved to start washing the omegas hair. Patrick tilted his head into the touch and nuzzled at Pete’s wrist.

The bath had lasted a little longer than expected. Even after Patrick’s hair was washed Pete continued running his fingers through it. He had hesitated when he started washing his body, this was new territory that they hadn’t discussed yet. 

He looked to the omega for permission to continue or a sign that he wanted him to stop but Patrick just smiled and said, “I trust you.” 

Pete returned the smile and carefully washed his boyfriend. Not lingering to long in certain areas, for fear of damaging the trust he was given. He had bathed plenty of omegas before at the hospital but when Patrick was there it was a nurse who helped because of the IV bag he was hooked up to.

Pete scooped Patrick up out of the water and sat him on a towel on the floor then wrapped another fluffier towel around him. He started rubbing gently at his arms and back and hair to dry him off as much as he could and carried him into their bedroom.

He sat him on the bed and began searching for clothes to dress him in when the omega caught his attention, 

“Can I wear your clothes? I want your scent.” His voice was small, as if he actually thought Pete would ever say no to him.

“Of course.” 

Pete went to his own dresser and pulled out a pair of sweatpants, boxers and the softest shirt he owned. He didn’t hesitate this time. 

He just started dressing him like a doll. Patrick tried to help lifting his arms, but they felt heavy and he was too far comfortable to care anymore so he let Pete do the work, the alpha didn’t seem to mind anyway.

When Pete was done, he noticed that Patrick had at some point closed his eyes. He took this opportunity to kiss his nose.

“You missed.” 

Pete blinked at him.

“What do you mean I missed?”

“You missed.”

Patrick leaned down and captured Pete’s lips with his own.

“You seem to have much better aim than me.” Pete mumbled as he smiled up at his boyfriend.

“That’s cheesy Pete.”

Pete smiled at the memory of their first kiss, “You have no idea.”

 

Meanwhile…

“I know you don’t want me here after dark but could tonight be an exception? Please?”

Andy hesitated, “I’ll think about it.” 

The idea of letting Joe stay after dark still bothered him. Walking home at night in LA was dangerous for an alpha and worse for an omega.

They still had a few hours before the scheduled time that Pete would normally be here to walk Joe home. The omega didn’t want to leave Andy. 

Today had ended up being great after everyone else had left. It was a slow day so most of Andy’s attention was on him. They shared lots of hugs and kisses, more than they had been the past week. On some level they knew it was because of their trip down memory lane last night, but Joe missed this. He didn’t want it to end just yet.

They were sitting behind the cash register together when an elderly man and woman came in with three children running around them giggling and chasing after each other. The man was obviously an alpha.

Joe saw the man and woman coming towards the register, so he dropped to his knees next to Andy’s legs. He kept his head bowed just like omegas were supposed to. 

Andy never enforced these rules on him, even when they first got together, but he was perfect at following them for fear of getting Andy into trouble for ‘not keeping his omega in place’ as others would call it.

He leaned into Andy’s legs waiting to be given the signal that they were gone so he could get back up.

When the old couple made it to the counter the man looked down at Joe and frowned. He noticed the way the omega had dropped to the floor, but he hadn’t seen the alpha give the command. When he saw the way that the omega was leaning into the alpha’s legs he knew.

He looked up at Andy, “It’s alright sonny. He doesn’t have to behave that way on our account.”

Andy looked at him in shock, Joe froze, listening to what else the man was going to say.

The man must’ve picked up on the confusion, “We don’t believe in treating omegas as anything less than people. This is my wife. An omega, we’ve been married 47 years now. Those young ones are our grandchildren. We don’t want them growing up to treat omega’s badly.” The old man smiled at his wife as he finished speaking.

Joe didn’t know what to do, he wanted to stand up and see the couple, but he wanted to see how Andy reacted first.

Andy looked down beside him, “It’s alright Joe. You can get up.”

Slowly Joe stood and glanced up at the couple. They looked calm and smiled kindly at him.

Andy slide an arm around his waist and pulled him close, “It’s good to know there’s people like you out there.”

 

When the couple walked away to gather their grandchildren Joe turned to Andy, “Of all our customers, I didn’t expect them to be the ones to accept my presence.”

Andy smiley lightly, “At least were not alone with our views.”

“Oh yeah, you, me, Pete, Patrick, and some random old couple are a great defense.” Sarcasm at its max.

“I’d bet on our team any day.” Andy said softly. He was enjoying his banter with Joe, but he meant it. 

Andy had given in and texted Pete that Joe would be leaving with Andy. He was still worried. Pete still promised to meet them on the corner. He wasn’t happy about leaving Patrick alone, but he was safer in the apartment than Andy and Joe were on the street.

At closing time Andy and Joe passed only a couple of people on the way to Pete. 

Each time Andy would pull Joe behind him and send a menacing glare in the persons direction whether they looked or not. He never let go of the omega’s wrist, Joe didn’t mind, he just went along. 

He felt guilty because he knew it stressed out his alpha when he thought he was in danger, but he couldn’t help enjoying the thrill it gave him to see Andy protect him.

When they reached Pete, he went to Joe’s other side and joined Andy in glaring at anyone that passed by. Joe rolled his eyes. 

He didn’t feel like he was in danger at all. 

And he knew that Andy and Pete were intimidating to others but to him that just looked like grumpy puppies. Very hot grumpy puppies but still.

Andy fell back against the door and let out a sigh of relief when they got inside.

Joe gave a small smile, “C’mon it wasn’t that bad.” 

Andy huffed, “I’m just glad nobody messed with you.”

Joe wanted to tease more but the stress he saw on the alpha’s face made him change his mind. 

He walked up to Andy until their fronts were pressed together.

“C’mon let’s go to bed.” He said with a wink.

Andy just grinned, “You’re insatiable.”

“You love me.”

“More than words can describe.”

“I love you too.”

“Get a room.” Pete deadpanned, though a smile still graced his lips as he made his way to his own room.

Andy picked up Joe to throw him over his shoulder, “What a great idea.”


	39. Therapy

The next morning Pete woke up to a knock at the door. It was only 8am so he figured it was probably Patrick’s mother again. He debated whether or not to ignore it but he decided against it.

When he opened the door he was relieved that it was only Ben. But he looked stressed.

“Uh…Patrick is still asleep.”

“That’s fine I actually came to see you.”

“Oh?”

Pete panicked for a moment, afraid that he came here to tell him he changed his mind about being cool with his relationship with Patrick.

“Well, I think we both know that getting everyone together all day everyday is a bad idea.”

Pete nodded.

“And so I thought maybe instead of bringing everyone here we could meet somewhere else, hang out and relax just for a bit and then go separate ways. That way Patrick can come back here and we can take her back to the hotel when things get too much. And plus going somewhere else would cut down on the time we all impose on each other.”

“That sounds like a great plan, but are you sure she’ll go for it? I think Patrick will like it but I’ll have to ask him.”

“She’s gonna have to deal with it. I love her and I love Patrick. I am more than grateful that he’s back but…at this rate they’re gonna ware each other out by the end of the week.”

“Alright. I’ll talk to Patrick when he wakes up. I definitely think the mornings are a no-go on the visits. He isn’t exactly an early riser.”

“Haha I remember. Text me what he decides. Oh, and Pete…I’m sorry for the way Kevin handled the news of your relationship. He told me what happened between you and him, he also told me about Patrick’s file. I hate that he went through all that………. Anyway, I just wanted to uh…thank you, for being so good to my brother. He’s lucky to have you.”

“No thanks needed. I love him.” Pete felt a bit awkward admitting his feelings to another alpha besides Andy, alphas normally hide their emotions and don’t discuss them.

“I know.”

With that he was gone. Pete went back to bed, feeling much better about today than he thought he would.

 

The next week went by fairly smoothly. Pete and Kevin would text each other when either Patrick or his mom wanted to see the other. If they were both up for it, they would find somewhere to sit and visit for an hour or so then Patrick would go back home with Pete and she would return to the hotel with Kevin and Ben.

They could all tell that she wasn’t necessarily happy about the arrangement. But Patrick was much calmer. He was relaxed and even enjoyed most of the visits again.

Patricia still tried to subtly convince Pete to get him chipped. Or in her words “at least put a collar on him.” She normally just said it to Pete, and he would ignore it. Patrick had heard the collar thing before but not the chip thing.

Today Patrick over heard her trying to convince Pete to get him chipped. They were at the park, he had went down the block with Ben to get some ice cream and was on his way back when they heard the two arguing so they stopped to listen.

“He needs to be safe.”

“Patrick is very safe here.”

“He would be safer if you’d chip him.”

“Mrs. Stumph, I understand that you’re worried about losing him but implanting a tracking device in him is not the answer. I’m actually surprised that you are pushing this so hard.”

“But what if someone tries to take him away again.”

“Andy and I will not let that happen. He is safe. We do everything we need to do to protect him and Joe.”

“But if he were only chipped, he would have less of a chance at disappearing again.”

“He isn’t going to disappear.”

“I just want him safe.”

“So do I.”

“Then for gods sake why aren’t you taking every precaution to make sure you know exactly where he is at all times?! He needs to be chipped or kept restrained.”

“I don’t support that. It is inhumane and painful for omegas who get it. He is not a dog.” 

Pete was trying to remain calm, he really was.

“Of course not. it is a minor implant—”

“There is nothing minor about it. I’ve been volunteering with omegas for almost five years now. I’ve seen a lot. And I have seen omegas get chipped. It is extremely painful for them. Very painful. And it isn’t a pain that just goes away. I’ve treated omegas with implants already in, it always hurts them. It disrupts the muscles under their skin and depending on its location makes simple movements painful for the rest of their lives. I will never do something like that to him.”

“I don’t want him in pain either, but it is a small price to pay for knowing he is safe. I’ll pay for it.”

“I’m not going to do it. I won’t allow it.”

“Then maybe he would be better off with me in Chicago!”

Pete sighed and drug his hand down his face. 

Patrick decided this was enough. His brothers told him that their mother had become paranoid since he disappeared. But he didn’t know she would ever say things like this.

“I’m not moving back to Chicago.”

Both parties had looked up when he came to stand in front of them, Ben beside him.

“Patrick, sweethe—”

“Don’t. Just don’t. How could you want…. Pete take me home.” He was shaking now, his voice cracking.

Pete was up in an instant, putting an arm around Patrick and guiding him back toward their apartment. In the distance he could hear Ben arguing with her now.

Pete led Patrick to the couch, “Can I get you anything?”

Patrick had started to shake his head no but stopped himself, “Joe. I want to talk to Joe. Please?”

Pete nodded quickly, relieved that Patrick wasn’t withdrawing into himself. He pulled out his phone to text Andy and ask if Joe would be up for it. He knew the omega would say yes but he wanted to give him a choice. That was rule number 1 in their house. ‘There is always a choice.’

Pete walked down to the store to get Joe. On the way back he tried to fill Joe in on everything that happened. He figured Patrick would tell him but at least Joe would have some back story before going in.

 

“Patrick? Pete said you wanted to talk to me.”

“Yeah. Please.” He mumbled, staring at his hands. Joe noticed that Patrick had a nervous tic. He would pull his hands inside his sweater sleeves and pick at his nails when he was anxious.

“Wanna sit here or the porch?”

“Porch?” Patrick sounded like he was asking, Joe understood it was because of his nerves and tried to treat it like it was a statement instead of a question.

 

It was silent for a few minutes, Patrick staring at his hands, Joe staring out at their view of LA. Waiting for Patrick to be ready to talk.

“Did Pete tell you?”

“From his perspective.”

“She want’s Pete to have me get chipped.”

“You know Pete won’t though right?”

“Yeah I know. He’s not what I’m worried about. It’s just…I never thought my mom would…”

Patrick took a deep breath and finally made eye contact with Joe, “My brothers had mentioned that she gets paranoid and looks at extreme measures to do things but…after everything that happened…I guess I just figured she would be more on the side of avoiding painful things.”

“Maybe she’ll get over the paranoia someday and let it go.”

“She sounded pretty adamant. Even tried to say I need to go back to Chicago with her.”

“You’re not are you?” The question just slipped out, but Joe didn’t want Patrick to leave. 

“Of course not.”

Joe took a moment to decide what to say next. He wanted to help, but he wasn't entirely sure how.

“You need an outlet.”

“What?”

“An outlet for your stress. Something to relieve tension.”

“What would I do though?”

“What do you like?”

“Music.”

“Do that. Go in the other room with the guitars and piano and just let it out. Maybe you’ll get a song or two out of it.”

“Maybe I’ll try that some time. What about you?”

“Depends. If its just regular stress i'll turn to music and go grab my guitar. If its something about my past then i'll go to Andy. He either coddles me, or we'll have sex. sometimes i just want him close to me. His scent is very calming."

“Pete does coddle me when i'm stressed. I like wearing his clothes too. I’m not ready for sex.” Patrick said honestly.

“I know. Don’t rush yourself either. Pete will always be there.”

“It doesn’t seem very fair to him.”

“If your both not fully consenting it isn’t sex.” Joe said carefully, trying to make sure his point got across.

Patrick sighed wanting desperately to change the subject, “So the music thing? It really works to get out stress?”

“Absolutely. Haven’t you ever used it to make yourself feel better or just to get out some emotions?”

“Well when I was a kid I wasn’t allowed to sing because it annoyed my father, while I was held captive…I did sing to make myself feel better sometimes. Only when I knew I was alone though.”

“C’mon.” Joe said as he climbed back through the window.

“Where?”

“Therapy.”


	40. Views

Joe led Patrick by the hand past Pete on the couch to the room where they keep their music. Pete called it a beginner’s studio.

Patrick was plopped down at the piano.

“What do I play?”

“That’s the beauty of it. You play whatever you feel. You change anything you want. Just play. Right now it’s not for anyone but yourself. You don’t even ever have to share it with anyone if you don’t want to.”

Slowly Patrick began playing. First a few keys, then a simple tune, eventually turning it into a full composition. It got faster and slower, at one point he began to hum along to the words in his head.

 

The next day Patrick actually woke up feeling better than he thought he would. He was still upset about his mother’s words, but Joe was right. Music was a good outlet. 

He and Joe had ended up playing for hours last night. Even recording some of it on garageband to go back to later.

Pete and Andy had eventually joined them, sometimes joining in and following the tune Patrick was playing, other times they worked on their own.

It had been a while since they rehearsed together. Patrick wanted to get as much practice in before their show in a couple weeks. 

He was nervous. Really nervous about going onstage, He didn’t think of himself as being that good and even though Joe said that the club was omega friendly, he was still afraid. 

Anyway, that’s what they were all currently doing now. Forming a circle again with their instruments ready to go.

“Are you sure you guys want me to play? What if I mess up?”

“Patrick we wouldn’t have asked if we didn’t think you were amazing. And as for the messing up part, you have done amazingly so far, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” Andy responded honestly.

“Yeah, don’t beat yourself up so much Patrick.” Joe said softly. He knew Patrick was nervous, he was always nervous before a show, but Patrick still didn’t even believe he was good.

“Sorry I can’t help it. Being self-critical is kind of a god given talent of mine.”

Pete tried to comfort the omega, “Just remember that we will all be right there beside you the entire time. Okay? If you get too nervous, just turn to one of us. Ignore the crowd. Perform just like you are right now and pretend the stage is this room.”

Patrick smiled, he liked the sound of that.

“I don’t know Pete, you can be very distracting, what if I forget the words?” Patrick was only teasing but he knew it wasn’t that farfetched.

Andy and Joe had the day off so most of the day was spent practicing.

 

Time Skip…

It had been five days since the argument with Patricia. Occasionally, Pete would get a text from Ben, their mother wanted to see Patrick again, but the omega didn’t want to see her. Not yet anyway. He was hurt and didn’t know what to do.

It didn’t help any that she still tried to convince everybody that Patrick needed to go back with her if Pete wasn’t willing to chip him or put a collar on him.

Today though he agreed to Ben coming over to the apartment for a bit. They were all sitting in the living room when Ben finally spoke up, “How are you?”

Patrick sighed, “Fine. Or at least as fine as I can be after what she said.”

“About you and mom's differing views...I’m sorry that—”

“No. Don’t apologize. You aren’t the one who told Pete to get me chipped and put a collar on me. It's more than differing views.”

Ben flinched at his brother’s words. Unusual for him, he could usually keep his poker face during intense conversations.

“Still, she should never had said those things.”

“Did you know she felt that way?”

“No. I knew she’s been worried about you, and it has been hard on her knowing that you’re not coming home. But I had no idea she would even think of those things.”

“I get that she’s worried and upset. But as far as I’m concerned, I am home. I am happy here. For the first time in years I am really happy with where I am and who I’m with.”

“I can see that. And me and Kevin are happy for you. If there were a way, I could make mom see that what she said was wrong I would do it. But she is convinced that those things…are what’s best for you.”

“You want to tell her something, tell her this: I’ve spent six years of my life having no say over what happens to me. I wasn’t treated like a person, I was treated like an object. Chained up and tortured in some monster’s basement. Now…now I’m free. I am happy and healthy and safe. I’m treated like an actual human. The last thing that I want to do is give up any of that. I don't want to feel like a victim again.” 

Patrick was crying by the time he finished talking. Joe’s eyes were watery too, he knew exactly what Patrick meant. Andy and Pete were cuddling their omegas, trying to comfort in any way they could.

Ben’s eyes were glossy, “And I don’t want you to feel that way either. You're a survivor.” He turned to Pete, “So does this mean you won’t be getting him chipped or collared? I hate to even ask that but—”

“He’ll never have to worry about anything like that.” Pete cut in. He meant it. He would never do anything to hurt Patrick. The last thing he wanted was for the omega to feel like a prisoner again.

“I really am happy that the two of you met. Patrick was never this confident at saying what he wanted. Even when we were kids.”

Patrick sure was glad that Ben was on his side. It felt good to know that he had his brother’s support.

“We’re going to go back to Chicago.” Ben said quietly.

Patrick was surprised. He knew they were going back eventually, but he didn’t expect it so soon.

“When do you leave?”

“Not for a while. You’ve got a show coming up right?”

“Yeah, end of next week.”

“Well you’re crazy if you think I’d miss my baby brother’s first show.” Ben teased.

Patrick smiled at his brother, “You’ve got more sureness about it than I do.”

“What are you talking about? You’ll be great.”

“See told you. You’ve already won over a member of the audience.” said Joe.

“After that, me and Kevin will come and see you any time we can.”

“You’re always welcome.” Andy supplied.

 

Time Skip…

Another two days had passed, and Joe’s excitement grew as much as Patrick’s anxiety. The show was in eight days. Eight days to get things as perfect as possible. 

Pete tried to calm him by saying nobody expects perfection with a punk rock band but that just made Patrick want perfection even more.

Today Patrick had been playing the same song over and over again because the first time he played it he missed a note even though yesterday he had gotten it perfect.

This lasted about 3 hours before Pete finally convinced him to take a break. 

“Let’s do something else to take your mind off it.”

“Like what?” Patrick asked pouting.

“Anything you want. Ice cream, a movie, the park, the record store, a bath, the secret place in the mountain, the diner, the zoo, the lake, anything. You choose. I will do anything you want me to do.” 

Pete was trying to come up with more options while Patrick fiddled with his thumbs on the couch. 

“I’ve never been to a zoo.”

“Great let’s go.”

“Can Andy and Joe come too?"

The alpha smirked.

“ANDY! JOE! WANNA GO TO THE ZOO?” 

Patrick raised his eyebrows when he heard frantic footsteps of, presumably Joe, running. 

Pete knew that Joe loved the zoo. The zoo they went to was strictly a rescue sanctuary for animals that couldn’t be released into the wild because of their injuries. It was a great program and the animals were well taken care of. Joe was happy about that. Plus it was omega friendly.

The curly haired omega ran into the room and jumped on Pete’s back, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Andy walked in next, annoyed, “Pete how many more times do I have to ask you not to scream?”

“For the rest of your life sunshine.” Pete never got tired of teasing Andy. 

Truthfully Andy didn’t mind it, it was actually a relief sometimes, hearing Pete joke made him feel a little less stressed every day. Which is why he smiled at Pete’s sass. He and Pete had been best friends for most of their lives, any cheeky remarks made towards each other were never taken as anything other than humor.

He knew it was unconventional in a pack for anyone to sass the head alpha, but they weren’t exactly a conventional pack anyway. Andy didn’t believe in a hierarchy order. He accepted the role as alpha, but he didn’t see himself as being above anybody. He wanted decisions about the pack to be made by the entire pack. 

It’s probably why they were such a small pack to begin with. It was hard finding people that shared their views.


	41. The Kids Aren't Alright

The drive to the Zoo was about an hour from their apartment.

During the ride Joe and Patrick sat in the back and watched in amusement as Pete sang along to almost every song. Even the ones he didn’t actually know.

 

They got out of the car and Patrick immediately hid behind Pete’s shoulder, grasping tightly to the back of his shirt. It wasn’t very crowded today, but it was still more people than he had been around in a while. Even though they said it was omega friendly he wasn’t sure how strict they were at upholding their rules.

“Trick, hey it’s okay. You don’t have to hide here.” Pete said calmly.

Patrick peeked around his shoulder to look up at him and saw Andy and Joe a few yards ahead of them. They were holding hands and talking freely. They didn’t usually do that in public. Slowly Patrick moved beside Pete and latched onto his arm instead. 

He still looked down every time someone passed them, but he didn’t feel like anybody was watching them, so gradually he glanced up in a few directions until he realized that…there are other omegas around. Lots of them actually. 

None of them were kneeling or nude. Actually, they looked happy. They were laughing and smiling with their alphas. Some of them were wearing collars but none that he could see looked uncomfortable with it.

He moved to put himself between Pete and Joe while Andy paid their entrance fee. Joe definitely seemed more comfortable here than he himself felt.

He watched as Joe practically vibrated next to Andy. He wanted to relax enough to have a good time, but he was terrified of alphas.

 

He did end up relaxing a bit. They’ve only been here twenty minutes but with Pete’s arm around his back and Joe pointing out various animals he almost forgot about his fear.

It wasn’t until another omega, one he didn’t know started talking to him. He was standing along a fence with Pete to look at some pandas. He didn’t pay attention to his other side.

A young teenage omega said, “Are you an omega too?”

Patrick jumped at the voice, and pressed closer to Pete. The alpha rubbed circles on his hip with his thumb but didn’t pull him closer like he usually did.

The alpha wanted to make sure Patrick knew he was safe to talk to others here. If Patrick really got uncomfortable than he would absolutely step in, but for now, it was good practice for the omega’s social interaction.

Patrick looked back and forth between Pete and the kid a few times. Pete was pretending not to hear the conversation, staring at the panda in front of them, the kid was waiting patiently for an answer.

“I…uh yeah. Yeah I am.”

“Me too.” He chirped.

“Okay, cool.” Patrick responded awkwardly. He didn’t know what the kid wanted or why he was talking to him.

“I’m Charlie.”

“Patrick.”

“Is he your alpha?” The boy asked pointing towards Pete.

Patrick blushed, “Uh, yeah. Well he’s going to be.”

“What’s his name?”

“Pete.”

“That’s a nice name. Is he nice?”

“Yes. He’s very nice.”

“That’s good. How did you meet him?”

Pete did tighten his arm when Patrick tensed at this question.

“It’s uh…complicated story.”

Patrick was extremely confused as to why some teen would be interested in him so much. But the boy accepted his answer and nodded.

“When I get older, I’m supposed to get an alpha too, but my mother says not all alphas are nice.”

Patrick wanted to laugh at how disturbingly accurate and relatable that statement was. He felt Pete tightening his arm a little more. He wanted to tell him the truth and he wanted to make Pete relax a bit but he didn’t want to scare the kid.

“Yeah, not all of them are nice, but there are some really amazing ones out there. You’ll meet one when the time is right. Don’t rush in to it.”

“Are you happy that you’re an omega?” This time the boy looked genuinely concerned. Maybe he struggles with this too.

Patrick hesitated for a moment, he hadn’t given it much thought, “I didn’t used to be. But then I met Pete, now I’m happy.”

It was an honest answer. He really was happy now. If he hadn’t met Pete though…he probably would’ve be sent to a shelter by now. He wouldn’t have been given the freedom he has, or even reunited with his family.

Pete’s arm relaxed and Patrick leaned into him a bit, feeling Pete leave a kiss on his shoulder.

The boy opened his mouth to ask something else when another voice was heard, “Charlie! Don’t wonder away from us like that. I’m sorry if our son bothered you.”

Patrick panicked, both the mother and father were both alphas, he pushed closer to Pete who thankfully took control of the situation, turning to face the parents as Patrick grabbed his arm again.

“He was no bother, really.”

The other alphas seemed to be aware that Patrick was uncomfortable because they took a couple steps back to show they weren’t threatening, “Well good. He is a social one.” 

Then the father turned to address Pete, realizing that Patrick was too scared to answer, “I’m terribly sorry if we upset your omega.”

“It’s alright. He just isn’t accustomed to omega friendly environments.” Pete said as he rubbed over Patrick’s hand with his knuckles.

“Ah, well, we thank you both for being kind to our son. Have a good day.” With that they were gone. 

Pete moved to face Patrick, “You okay?”

“Yeah. I guess I just wasn’t expecting that.”

“Well you handled it pretty well considering that was the first omega you’ve talked to besides Joe.”

Patrick hadn’t thought of that. He’s been so afraid to talk to anybody outside his pack and his brothers and mom that he hadn’t really gotten to meet anybody else.

They continued walking through the paths to see the different enclosures. Patrick loved it, but a nagging thought in his head about that teenager wouldn’t go away.

“You gonna tell me?” Pete asked.

“What?”

“What’s been going on inside your brain the last twenty minutes?”

“Oh. Well…It’s that kid.”

“It really bothered you didn’t it?”

“He’s an omega too. And he’s so young, I mean he’s already worried about alphas hurting him. When I was that age I…” Patrick trailed off when he remembered they were in public.

Pete seemed to get the message anyway. “Well look on the bright side, his parents seemed like they genuinely cared for his well-being. He’s already presented and they are still taking care of him. I don’t think they’ll let just any alpha be with their son.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” 

The more he thought about what Pete said the easier it was to relax again. They eventually caught up with Joe and Andy at the monkey exhibit.

“Where you guys been?” Andy said when he saw them walking towards him.

Patrick didn’t answer just gave Joe a quick hug and joined him watching the monkeys.

“There was an omega kid that started talking to Patrick. Asking him questions. It’s all good now.” Pete answered.

 

Walking through the rest of the zoo went by a lot smoother. Patrick had relaxed more with Joe next to him. The two of them were joking and talking freely all the way to the exit.

 

 

Time Skip…

It had been six days now since the talk with Ben. Three days left until the concert. 

After the conversation with Ben they had stopped getting requests about Patricia visiting. Ben and Kevin still came by and hung out. Patrick had no idea how to fix things with his mother.

Today Patrick had a follow up appointment with Dr. Woods at the hospital. Ben had asked if he could come along. He just needed to hear that his brother was alright for himself.

The three of them were sitting in the waiting room, it was crowded today so Patrick put himself between the two alphas.

“Patrick Stump?” A nurse called. 

She was in her thirty’s with dark eyes and short brown hair. The scowl on her face when Patrick got closer was more than enough to tell him she did not support omegas being treated here.

They followed her into an exam room, “Alright, have him undress and put this gown on, the doctor will be in shortly.” She addressed Pete. Not even looking at Patrick.

“What a bitch.” Ben mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it.” Patrick wasn’t surprised at her attitude. Sure some of the nurses here were really kind to him but he didn’t expect them all to be.

“She was rude to you.”

“Ben really, I’m used to that.”

Ben didn’t say anything else just leaned against the wall and pouted.

“Could you not look while I change?” Patrick asked looking at Ben.

“Oh oh yeah sorry.” He turned to face the wall.

Pete didn’t turn around. He just helped Patrick adjust the paper gown and moved his clothes to the chair.

“Alright you can turn around again.”

A few minutes later Dr. Woods came in, “Good afternoon Patrick. How are you feeling? Any pain? Eating regularly?”

“I feel a lot better thank you. No pain anymore. Pete hasn’t let me miss a meal yet.” Patrick was only teasing, he knew Pete was just being protective, he was actually thankful for it.

“Haha good. Now, let’s take a look at your torso.”

He hadn’t let anybody but Pete see his scars. Patrick took a deep breath and pulled the gown off his shoulders, so it still covered his lap. His brother was in the room, he did not want his brother to see him naked.

Ben inhaled sharply. He knew Patrick was hurt badly, but the number of scars on him was still shocking. There were more on his back than his front. Long crisscrossed lines covered his back. It wasn’t hard to guess that they were from some kind of whip or belt. His front had a few lines on his chest and stomach, but they looked more like knife scars. 

Ben wanted to puke. Seeing his brother like this made him want to kill whoever did it.

His scent must’ve given away how he was feeling because Pete was standing in front of Patrick now, pushing out calming scents of his own and trying to talk to him.

Eventually it worked and Ben looked back up at Patrick, “I’m sorry. I should’ve been able to control that.”

“Maybe it would help if you saw how he was before.” Dr. Woods suggested as he extended the file towards Ben.

Pete flinched. He didn’t want to see that again. It was already burned into his memory from the first time he saw him.

“I don’t know…” Ben wasn’t sure if it would help or make things worse.

“It’s okay.” Patrick added, “Seeing how I was before made Kevin see how much better I am. Maybe it will work for you too.”

“You want me to see?”

“No. Of course not. But if it will help you then you should look.”

Slowly Ben opened the folder. He wanted to be sick all over again but then he remembered what Patrick said. He looked back up at his brother. He was definitely much better. Ben could only stand to look at a couple pictures before slamming the file closed and giving it back to the doctor.

It was silent for a few moments until Ben asked Pete, “The guys dead right?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I had the pleasure of watching him die during the police raid the night I met Patrick.”

Ben seemed to relax at this. But he still had more questions for Patrick and the doctor.

“What about internal injuries? Is he clear of those?”

“Yes. We kept him admitted until those were healed.”

“What about his heats?”

Patrick flushed at his brother’s question. He didn’t want to talk about that with Ben. 

“Have you had a cycle yet since being rescued?”

“No.” 

“Good. Then your body is resetting itself back to its biological clock.”

“Resetting?”

“Omegas typically get four heat cycles a year, once every three months. When he was brought in our tests had shown he was given injections to accelerate his heats.”

Patrick cringed, he remembered that very clearly. It seemed like every week or so his owner had come down and stuck a needle in his neck. Then for a few days he couldn’t remember anything, but his body feeling like it was on fire.

“Would he be able to take suppressants?” Pete asked.

“Well you know those rules Pete. If he wants them and you are approving than he is welcome to them.”

Pete turned to Patrick, “Only if you want them, you don’t have to if you don’t want, but either way you chose is fine. If you want, you can wait to decide and talk to Joe.”

“Joe is on suppressants?” Patrick was surprised. Joe always seemed so comfortable being an omega.

“He doesn’t like the way heats make him feel.”

“I’ll talk to Joe. But I’m probably going to say yes to them anyway.” Patrick agreed.

“Alright. You can put your gown back on, and step over to the scale.”

 

The next ten minutes were just the doctor running routine tests and measurements but one thing he wanted to do was speak to Patrick alone.

“Alright, almost finished, would you two mind waiting in the hall please?” He asked as he turned to Pete and Ben.

Ben nodded and moved towards the door, but Pete hesitated, “Patrick you okay with this?” The omega hadn’t been alone with another alpha, besides Andy. He always had Pete there otherwise.

Patrick thought for a moment. He trusted Dr. Woods, so he nodded at Pete and watched as the alphas made their way out of the room.

“You can get dressed. I just want to make sure things are going well at your new home. Then you’ll be free to go.”

Patrick nodded and started pulling on his clothes.

“So, how have things been with Pete since he became your owner? Have there been any instances of abuse?”

Patrick cringed, “Pete would never hurt me. And we…we don’t really use the word ‘owner’. It makes both of us uncomfortable.” He knew the doctor was just asking these things as a well-check to make sure Patrick was safe and not being abused, but it still felt weird to talk about himself like this.

“My apologies. Is everything is going well with the other alpha and omega?”

“Yeah things are great. I’ve never been treated so nice before. They’ve been really amazing.”

“Will you be joining their pack?”

“Eventually. I did join their band. Pete and I just became boyfriends not too long ago. Someday he’s going to be my alpha and then I’ll join the pack. He doesn’t want to rush anything, and he’s letting me set the pace of the relationship.”

“Sounds like a good man.”

“He is.” Patrick smiled to himself at the thought of Pete. 

“Well that’s it for now, do you have any questions for me?”

Patrick thought for a moment, “What do you know about chipping an omega?”

Dr. Woods raised his eyebrows in concern at that, “Well, it is a very painful, very invasive process that in my opinion does more harm than good. It was originally invented as a way to track runaway omegas, but in my opinion if an omega runs away it’s the alpha that has a problem. Is Pete talking about having you chipped?”

“No. It’s my mother. She tried to talk Pete into having it done to me.” 

“What did Pete say?” 

“He refused. He told her it was bad and painful, but she still wanted it done.”

The doctor smiled, “I don’t see that happening then. Pete is legally the only person with the power to let that happen and from what I’ve observed he isn’t the type to back down or give up.”

Patrick nodded, this was true. If it weren’t Pete and him wouldn’t be together.


	42. Family Don't End With Blood

It’s Wednesday evening, their show is on Friday night. Right now, Patrick is laying on his bedroom floor watching as Joe rummages through his and Pete’s closet. 

He had asked him to help him pick out an outfit for the show and Joe was only to happy to indulge. He had pulled almost everything out and pieced together various articles of clothing, telling Patrick to ‘try them on and give me a spin’.

Patrick was tired of trying on clothes. They’d been at this an hour already, but Joe insisted that it would take away some of his nerves to have his outfit planned out because it will be less to worry about on Friday. 

Patrick had a lot on his mind besides the show. He had still been trying to come up with a way to make amends with his mother, and he was trying to figure out the best way to ask Joe about taking suppressants. 

He didn’t think Joe would mind but he didn’t want to seem invasive. Heats were a really private thing. But then again, Joe isn’t exactly shy about private topics. He had already talked to him a lot about sex. Maybe this would be okay.

Patrick chewed his bottom lip, “Can I ask you something?”

Joe snorted, “Of course. You don’t need permission.”

“Well its kind of personal. I don’t want to offend you. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

“Patrick, you are family now. And you are one of my best friends. I doubt that you could ask anything offensive.”

“Alright. Um…at my follow up appointment yesterday they asked if I wanted to take suppressants for my heats. Pete said that you take them…”

“Yeah. Been taking them for years. I had two heats after I met Andy and when I told him how much I hated my heats he asked if I wanted to try suppressants. I’ve been on them ever since.”

“Do they effect you at all? The internet has a lot of side effects that sound awful.”

“Don’t ever google medical stuff. It’ll just turn you into a hypochondriac. No, not really. When I first took them they made me a little tired. But after a few months it wore off.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“It isn’t. And it’s a lot better than getting your heat.”

“Is Andy the only alpha you shared a heat with?”

“Yeah. We didn’t have sex the first time though. He just took care of me until it was over. It happened before we were a couple. Before him I just spent my heats alone, hiding as far away from any alphas as I could. We mated during my second heat with him.”

“I don’t think I ever want to have a heat again.”

“I know what you mean. It isn’t fair really. The way heats affect an omegas body and mind.” Joe gave a sad smile.

Patrick nodded, then he realized that he hadn’t asked about Andy or Pete’s cycles.

“What do they do during their ruts?”

“Well Andy and I usually spend his together, so it isn’t too bad for him. Pete usually handles his on his own.”

“I wish I could help him, but I still don’t think I’m ready for sex.”

“Don’t worry about it. He’ll probably still want to be close to you. Probably scent you a lot. That’s what he always did to me, but I don’t think he’ll push for anything more. He’s too protective to let himself lose control that much.”

“Andy let Pete scent you during his rut?” 

Patrick wasn’t jealous. He was just surprised. He thought alphas were more territorial than that.

“Yeah. Or when he’s stressed. Andy and Pete trust each other, they’ve always been really close. Before you came along, being the only omega in the house meant being scented by both of them multiple times a day. It was enough to make me dizzy sometimes. But I never minded. It helps alphas to scent an omega sometimes. It calms them.” 

“I didn’t know it did that. I thought I just calmed omegas down.” Pete is actually the first alpha to scent him. His last owner had always made sure Patrick’s scent didn’t stick to him, claiming it was a nuisance to smell like an omega.

“Oh yeah. It really works too. Actually, the first time Pete came home from the hospital after he met you, he scented me and threatened Andy.”

Patrick’s eyes widened, “Why would he threaten Andy?”

Joe smiled gently, “He was upset at how someone could hurt you like that. Then he told Andy that if he ever hurt me, he’d kill him.”

“Wow. Has Pete ever been in a relationship with an omega before?”

“Not that I know of. You’d have to ask him. I know that sometimes he would spend his heats with another alpha named Mikey. But he moved to New Jersey to join his brother's band a few years ago.”

Patrick nodded, he’d have to ask Pete about his past relationships. The alpha already knew his past experiences.

“Here try these.” Joe tossed another pair of black pants, a Metallica t-shirt, and a black jean jacket.

“We already agreed on black pants.”

“Yes, but we haven’t seen it with this shirt and this jacket.”

“Fine.”

Patrick pulled the clothes on and stared at Joe. “Well?”

The jeans were the tightest ones he owned and they hugged his legs in just the right ways. The shirt hung loosely enough to be comfortable and fitted in a way that you could see the outline of his torso. His jacket hung just right and with the sleeves rolled up he looked even cuter.

“Hot damn. Aren’t you sexy? Told you I have good taste.”

Patrick blushed, compliments always made him feel weird. He didn’t know how to respond to them, so he usually just stared at his shoes and mumbled a small thank you, even if he didn’t agree with the compliment.

“Are you sure ‘sexy’ is the goal here?”

Pete chose this moment to walk into the room. 

“How’s it go…” He trailed off when he looked at Patrick. 

Patrick blushed more. Pete was staring at him. His mouth was hanging open a bit, and his eyes were going up and down the omega in front of him, lingering on his ass, (the pants fit really well.) 😉

“Pete. Pete! Earth to alpha! Don’t just stare, say something.” Joe chided.

“Wha-oh, uh sorry. You look amazing.”

“Told you.” Joe smirked. “My work here is done.” He bowed as he walked out of the room.

Patrick looked up at the alpha, “You sure I look okay?”

Pete huffed, “Are you kidding of course I’m sure. Look at you, you look fuckin amazing.”

Patrick blushed again but this time he held eye contact and smiled back.

 

Patrick was sitting on his bed with a guitar practicing, he thinks he got the chords down, but he isn’t sure about remembering the words.

Earlier he had taken the clothes he’s going to wear to the show and buried them in Pete’s clothes. He wants them to smell like the alpha. Hoping that it will calm his nerves a little when they go onstage.

Pete was in the shower, Patrick could hear him singing along to ACDC on the radio.

 

When Pete came into the room with just a towel on he stared. Because damn.

Pete caught him staring and grinned, “Like the view?”

“Shut up.” Patrick’s blush deepened.

Pete pulled on a pair of sweatpants and belly flopped on the bed in front of him. Patrick giggled and reached out to muss up the alpha’s hair. That’s when he noticed something he hadn’t seen before.

On Pete’s back, where his neck connects with his back was a scar. It looked like a bite mark. It was old and faded, definitely healed a long time ago. Patrick couldn’t figure out how he had missed it before. But it was so light that to see it he would’ve had to been looking pretty closely.

He reached out to lightly run his fingers over it, “What’s this from?”

Pete knew what he meant by where he was touching, “That’s from when me and Andy formed a pack. We were eighteen. Neither of us wanted to join our parents packs, so we made our own. For him to be alpha he had to bite me so we could form a pack bond.” Pete’s voice was soft, he had a smile on his face at the memory.

 

Flashback…

They were sitting on the hood of Andy’s car eating lunch at a diner. Too nice of day to be inside. Yesterday was their high school graduation and Andy’s eighteenth birthday.

Andy looked over at Pete, “So I was thinking about what you said earlier, about the two of us forming a pack together. And I think we should do it.” 

Pete had meant what he’d said. He would love to form a pack with Andy. There isn’t a person in the world he trusted more than him. He had been his best friend since they were six years old. The only person who really stuck up for him and stood by his side no matter what.

“Good.”

“We have some things to talk about first though.”

“Like what?”

“Like which one of us is gonna be pack alpha?”

“You.” Pete answered simply. 

“What about you?” Andy was a bit surprised.

“I don’t think I’m cut out for being our leader. I’m a bit hot headed. I trust you. You've been a brother to me since the day we met.”

“You’re okay with me being your alpha?”

Pete scoffed, “Of course. You’re the only person I would ever want to be my alpha."

Andy still looked worried, "You're okay with following my orders?"

"I’ll follow you to the edge of the earth and then I'll jump off with ya.”

Andy smiled down at his sandwich for a moment and looked back to Pete, “Thanks.”

A few minutes passed in comfortable silence as they ate. 

“We’ll have to wait until your birthday.”

“Done.” It was only four days away anyhow.

Pete was never more calm about anything. The decision to become a pack with Andy as head alpha was an easy one. 

“Are you gonna tell your parents?”

“Not until after. That way they won’t try and stop us. Mine have been bugging me about going to our pack alpha to make it official and it’s getting annoying.”

“That reminds me, can I stay at your house the night before? My parents are talking about calling our pack alpha to the house that day. If they’re serious then I don’t want to deal with that.”

“Course you can.”

 

Four days later, it’s Pete’s birthday and him and Andy woke up early to sneak out so his parents wouldn’t catch them. 

They were standing in the woods under the treehouse they built when they were ten. They still came out here when they needed to talk, or just some space from the rest of the world.

“Are you sure about this?” Andy looked hesitant.

“Andy I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

Andy and Pete had been to plenty of ceremonies held by their parents’ packs, they knew what to do, but it still made Andy a bit nervous. He knew that it was usually painful for the person getting bit.

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“You’re not hurting me. I want us to be a pack. An official pack.”

The determination in Pete's eyes was convincing enough for him.

“Alright, lets do this.”

They took a deep breath and Pete turned sideways so Andy was standing facing his neck.

Andy closed his eyes as he let his inner alpha take control. 

“Submit.” The alpha tone took over completely.

Pete immediately tilted his head and suppressed his own inner alpha, it wasn’t hard really, it felt natural.

Andy stepped forward, lightly placed his hand on Pete’s jaw, and bit down hard on the back of his neck. 

Pete stilled, and let Andy control him. 

Andy bit down harder, until he tasted blood. 

Only a few more minutes and they would feel the pack bond click in their heads. 

Eventually it was like something fell into place inside their minds that they didn’t know was missing.

But something was different.

When Andy went to pull away his inner alpha protested and he bit down even harder.

Pete didn’t pull away or move. He just remained still and waited. For what he didn’t know. He didn't care. His head was fuzzy and he was happy to finally be in his very own pack with Andy.

Then there was another click in their heads.

Everything made sense now.

Andy’s alpha had named Pete as his second.

Slowly he released Pete’s neck. He winced when he saw how bloody it was and leaned forward to lick at the wound.

When the mark was healed shut, he leaned back and saw that Pete’s eyes were droopy, he looked exhausted. He had expected this. People were usually pretty out of it after they get bit. Something about the bonding adjusting itself to the persons mind made the person a little worn out.

“Petey you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah m’good.”

Pete went to take a step forward but collapsed against Andy, who quickly grabbed him and wrapped an arm around his middle. 

Slowly he sat them both down so he was resting against their tree, Pete laying against his chest. He would be out of it for a bit.

Andy smiled and stroked Pete’s head, “It’s okay brother, I’m here.”

End Flashback...


	43. Pete and I Attacked the Lost Astoria

Later after dinner, Kevin came over for a bit to visit.

“Are you and mom ever gonna make up?”

Kevin wasn’t as subtle as Ben. And he really didn’t have much of a filter.

“She’s the one that needs to back off. Pete is not going to get me chipped and I am not going back to Chicago with her.”

“I know. It’s just…we just got you back. It’s hard knowing the two of you are already upset with each other.”

“I’m sorry about that. But what am I supposed to do? She won’t drop it.”

“I know. And I’m not blaming you.” 

“Does she know about our show tomorrow?

“I told her about it. She doesn’t want you to do it. Thinks it will be too dangerous.”

“I’ll be perfectly safe.”

“How do you know that?”

“The bar is omega friendly and Pete and Andy will be there. Plus Ben is coming. Are you gonna be there?”

“Of course.”

“See. Plenty of protection.”

“I hope you’ll let Pete scent you before you go on.”

“I will. I’m also making my clothes smell like him. But that’s more for me. His scent is calming and I’m really nervous.”

“You really love him, don’t you?”

Patrick blushed, “Yeah. I know it bothers you and stuff. And we’ve only known each other a few months, but it’s felt much longer. Like we’ve known each other for years. I freakin love him.”

“Haha you still don’t like swearing, do you?”

“No. It just doesn’t fit right with me. And I’m bad at it.”

“That’s because you too pure for it.”

“Ha. Pure huh? I wouldn’t use that word.”

“I would. I think Pete would too.”

 

Thursday

After Pete told Patrick about how him and Andy became a pack he started feeling a little nostalgic. He didn’t notice it at first, but he had turned himself into Andy’s shadow from the moment he woke up.

At breakfast he sat as close to the other alpha as he could. 

At practice he stood close to Andy’s drums and missed a few notes when he got particularly distracted.

At lunchtime he helped Andy make sandwiches for everybody and sat as close as he did at breakfast.

When it came time for Andy to go to work, he offered to walk with him.

At the store he followed Andy around, chatting about everything except why he was following him.

Pete and Patrick ended up hanging out at the store until Andy’s shift was over.

Anytime there had been a customer, Pete would back off a few steps but when the person was gone, he resumed his position at Andy’s side.

For dinner they had ordered food to be delivered to the store. Much to the delivery driver’s confusion.

After they closed the store and walked home, Joe pulled Patrick aside to go ‘rehearse’. Really Joe just wanted to give the alphas some space. He would explain what he could to Patrick later.

Pete had done this before. 

That’s the only reason Andy was so calm about Pete’s behavior. He recognized it. Pete got particularly clingy when he was either feeling sentimental or his depression had flared up again. Judging by his upbeat behavior he knew it was the first.

Andy waited until Joe and Patrick had left from the room before taking care of Pete. He knew what the alpha needed. It was just easier to do when they were alone.

Pete needed to feel the comfort of his best friend. He was obviously stressed and needed comfort. Not that he wasn’t always there but having all of Andy’s attention on him was something he hadn’t had in a while. After all, alphas need reassurance too sometimes.

Andy kicked off his shoes, sat on the couch and turned to watch Pete do the same.

Pete stood standing for a moment until Andy opened his arms and gestured for him to come over.

He didn’t hesitate. Pete sat down next to Andy and hugged him tightly. Burying his face in his alphas neck and baring his own as an offering to Andy.

They took their time, scenting each other, not letting their hug go. When they finally pulled back from their hug, Andy lifted his hand to run his fingers over Pete’s head. He leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, enjoying the tingling feeling on his scalp.

Neither had said anything out loud yet, but they didn’t need to. Not yet anyway. Pete would speak when he was ready, and Andy would be there to listen.

For now, Pete opened his eyes and looked into his alphas. Andy stopped petting him and stared back. 

There was a long pause where neither moved.

Pete didn’t know exactly what he wanted yet. 

He knew he wanted to be close to Andy. He was. 

He knew he wanted his attention. He got it. 

He wanted to hug his brother. He did that. 

Now…all Pete could think about was that he needed his alpha. He knew right now he had Andy. The Andy that he grew up with, his best friend, his brother. And he loved him. But right now, at this moment he wanted, needed, his alpha.

Pete slid off the couch and kneeled sideways between Andy’s legs, letting his head fall to rest on the other alphas knee.

Andy reached down and let his hand rest on the back of Pete’s neck over where his bite mark was. Pete inhaled sharply and arched his neck to push into Andy’s hand.

Andy seemed to figure out what he wanted right away. He leaned forward and moved one hand to the front of Pete’s throat. His other hand came up to hold Pete’s shirt out of the way. He leaned down and left a light kiss on the mark. He would bite him again, but only if Pete asked.

“Petey?”

“I submit.” Pete whimpered.

That’s all he needed this time.

Andy bit down on Pete’s mark again, not hard enough to break his skin this time. Just hard enough that he feels it.

Pete flinched at the pain at first, but after a moment he relaxed into it. His mind was clear again. He started to feel calmer. His alpha was here. He was okay. He let his body go lax, feeling Andy rubbing circles on his back with his free hand, while his other supported Pete’s neck, holding him in place.

Andy held on until he felt all the tension in Pete’s body slip away. When he pulled back, he rubbed at the spot on his neck for a moment. It would definitely bruise later.

Pete fell back against Andy’s legs and sighed. It had been a while since he’d felt this relaxed.

Andy felt relaxed now too. Feeling how tense Pete was through their bond was driving him crazy today. But he needed to wait until Pete was ready before doing anything about it. He’s just glad that he finally got some relief. 

Andy stayed like this with Pete for another hour. Listening to their omegas practicing in the other room. At one point he thought Pete might’ve fallen asleep because of how even his breathing was. The only sign that he was still awake was the gentle push of his neck into Andy’s hand.

When he heard the music stop Pete lifted his head and looked up at Andy. “Thank you.” His voice was small. An outsider wouldn’t even know Pete was an alpha judging by his position and the softness in his voice.

“You don’t have to thank me, that’s what brothers are for.” Andy replied gently as he stroked Pete’s hair once more.

He helped the alpha stand and pulled him into another hug. This one was a lot calmer. A lot less rushed.

“Love you Hurley.”

“Love you too Wentz.”

 

They pulled back from each other when Joe and Patrick came back into the room.

“You guys okay?” Patrick asked. He felt like he and Joe were interrupting but the other omega had told him that this was usually how long it took for them to get back to themselves.

“We’re good. You ready for bed?”

“Yes! Good night.” Joe exclaimed as he turned on his heels and went to his room. Andy looked to Pete one more time to make sure he was really good, before following his omega to bed. Pete just smiled and nodded, his eyes brightened again. Yep. Pete was back.

“Trick, you ready for bed. We all need rest for tomorrow.”

“Ready when you are. I don’t think I can sleep without you anymore.”

“You’re never going to.”

“Promise?”

Pete stepped up to Patrick and placed his hands on either side of his face to pull him in for a kiss, soft and steady.

“Promise.”

 

Friday morning

Everyone was up early, having breakfast together on the couch.

Andy was the first to bring up the show, “So, were going to practice for a bit but then we are going to RELAX.”

“What time are we going? I wanna get there early to hang out with Panic!. It’s been forever since we got to hang out with those guys.” Joe was practically begging.

“We’re going down to the bar around 4. We’ll rehearse a song on the stage, then the show starts at 7. There’s two bands before us. We go on at 8, then Panic! at 8:30, then the rest of the bands. After their set maybe we can hang out more and go out to dinner with them or something.” Andy replied, as calm as he ever was.

Patrick was still freaking out about the show. His nerves about being around other people wasn’t really there. Or maybe it was and he just wasn’t paying attention to it. The only fear he could focus on was his fear of messing up.

“Patrick, you’ll be great. Just remember that you’re not going up there alone.” Pete said confidently. He sounded so sure, Patrick just didn’t understand the faith they had in him. But he was determined to do his best for them.

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am. Now, we’ve been practicing all the songs we know, but we’re actually only playing like 7 of them. So we need to pick out our best, and then we’ll just practice those ones today.”

“Patrick, which ones do you feel the most confident at?” Joe asked.

Patrick thought for a moment. Some of the songs actually meant a lot to him. The lyrics just had a way of making him feel something or more often then not, they reminded him of something that he struggled with. When he sang those songs, he felt empowered, like he was taking control of his memories.

“I think the ones that I know the best are, Dead on Arrival, Homesick at Space Camp, Grand Theft Autumn, Grenade Jumper, Calm Before the Storm, The Patron Saint and…maybe Saturday?”

Saturday was a newer song that they had written. It was definitely one of his favorites, he’d learned the words to that one a lot quicker and easier than the rest.

Pete nodded, “Sounds good to me.”

“Alright, well, we’ll practice those ones and then we’ll put them in the order you want to sing them, and that’ll be our set list. All good?”

“Yep.” Joe said with a mouth full of waffles.

Pete nodded, stealing a sip of Andy’s coffee because his was already empty.

“How many other bands will be there?” Pete asked.

“I think the list had eight of them. Us and Panic! got in because the owner of the bar remembered seeing us play somewhere else before.”

“Cool.”

 

Practice had gone great. 

Everyone was in sync with each other and Patrick remembered all the words. It was like there was electricity buzzing in the air around them.

He was feeling a lot better now that he had gone through everything a couple times and worked out the kinks but now his focus shifted back there being a crowd. The idea of a bunch of strangers staring at them made him a bit uncomfortable and nervous.

Nervous enough that at lunchtime he didn’t have an appetite at all. He picked at his food but in the end he had only eaten a couple bites of his sandwich and a handful of grapes.

 

Andy and Joe had gone to take a shower after lunch.

Actually, shower might be a bit incorrect. 

They were in the shower, but judging by the moans coming from their bathroom it sounded like they were getting the opposite of clean.

“I think I’m gonna get a shower now too.” Pete said.

“Really, with our friends screwing each other’s brains out right next door?”

“Haha, they always do that before a show. It helps them relax. Especially Joe. Andy kinda takes away some of his energy so he isn’t as hyper later.”

“It makes sense I guess.”

“You can join me if you want to. Don’t worry, just shower, no sex.”

Patrick hesitated, he wanted too, really wanted too. He had yet to see Pete completely unclothed. Despite the fact that this was Pete, he was still nervous. He hadn’t been naked with a naked alpha since…well since before he was rescued.

“Okay. Just showering.”

“Promise. I won’t even look if you tell me not too. I’ll face the other way.”

“No, I trust you. Besides, you’ve already seen me naked before.”

 

Patrick followed Pete into the bathroom and watched in amazement as the alpha started peeling off his clothes. Tan muscles and soft skin were everywhere. When Pete kicked off his pants and boxers Patrick blushed and looked at the floor.

Pete could tell the omega was nervous, but he figured letting Patrick move at his own pace would be the best option in this situation. So, he didn’t say anything, just went about his business as he usually would hoping it might make Patrick more comfortable.

Pete stepped into the shower, standing under the water, letting the heat relax his muscles.

Patrick waited outside the shower for a moment debating whether or not he wanted to do this. 

In the end he stepped out of his clothes and slowly walked in behind Pete.

He didn’t say anything right away. Just watched as Pete rolled his shoulders back, head tilted. The mark on the back of his neck was dark black and purple. He’d have to ask about that later. For now he was having a hard time not staring at his boyfriends body. He felt guilty. He didn’t know why, he knew Pete didn’t care if he looked, but it felt wrong when Pete was still waiting for his permission.

“Petey?”

He could hear the smile in the alpha’s voice, “Yeah Trick?”

“You can turn around.” His voice was small, almost a whisper.

Pete obeyed, slowly turned around til he was facing the omega, then opened his eyes.

“Your beautiful Trick.”

Patrick whined in response. The heat from the shower steam was not helping his blush. He couldn’t stop staring at Pete, he wanted so badly to touch him.

“What is it baby?”

“I…can I,” Patrick started as he reached towards Pete’s stomach.

Pete smiled gently, “Touch all you want. I’m yours.”

Patrick’s heart fluttered and he pressed his hands to Pete’s stomach, feeling the soft skin there, then sliding them up to his chest, and down his arms.

Patrick was amazed, he had never been given free range to touch before. Pete must really trust him too.

Pete stayed still, pliant under his omega’s touch.

He was trying really hard to not get turned on right now. This would be a really bad time to get a boner, it might just freak out Patrick and damage the progress they’ve made.

Patrick started rubbing at Pete’s shoulders and arms the same way the alpha had when he’d given him a bath.

When Pete finally closed his eyes, Patrick picked up a small towel and soap. He ran it all over the alphas body, reaching around him to wash his back so he could keep looking at his eyes. He was blushing profusely when he got between his legs, but he was enjoying himself too much to care.

Washing Pete’s hair was fun. After he got it all soapy, he took some time to play around with it. Giving him a mohawk or little spikes, or curls. Pete was smiling widely at him, so he must not be bothered.

 

When he was done, Pete took the soaps from him, “Mind if I return the favor?”

Patrick blushed for what felt like the millionth time and nodded. Letting Pete maneuver them so he was under the water now.

Pete guided his head back until he was under the water more, before he started kneading at the omegas muscles. Patrick really was tense, he noticed. Probably because of the show, Pete thought. 

He wanted to make his boyfriend feel better but he didn’t want to turn him into jelly like last time. So he spent less time massaging him but still continued running his hands over the omega’s body. It was more like research in a way, this way Pete would know where he could touch his boyfriend without making him uncomfortable.

He washed him the same as he had the last time, slowly, with careful precision, as if Patrick were some kind of porcelain doll that would break into a million pieces.

Patrick loved Pete’s gentle touches, more than anything. Probably because he was the first person in so long to actually be gentle with him. 

But when Pete started washing his hair he couldn’t help but push his head harder into Pete’s hand. Nudging at his wrist, he needed a bit more right now. More than just the gentle touches. He wanted something firm to ground him.

Pete could tell Patrick wanted more, but he didn’t want to hurt him, so he experimentally ran his fingers through and gently gripped the back of his hair. Not enough to cause any pain, or pulling, just to let him know he was there.

Patrick opened his eyes and flashed a blissed out smile to his boyfriend, “Kiss me please?”

“anytime baby.”

Pete stepped closer, tilting his head as his pressed their lips together. It was actually Patrick who deepened the kiss this time. Letting his tongue brush over the alpha’s. Pete responded immediately, licking into the other’s mouth and lightly nibbling on Patrick’s lip.

After a few moments, they pulled back to catch their breath, letting their foreheads stay together.

Pete let go of Patrick’s hair and let his hands rest on his neck instead.

Patrick watched intently as his boyfriend tried to control his breathing. Pete slipped his eyes closed and he was panting a bit, but he was smiling a little.

Truth is Pete was still trying to convince his dick that now isn’t the time. It was exhausting.

Patrick leaned up and kissed the corner of his mouth, smirking when the alpha opened his eyes in surprise.

Patrick reached up and pulled one of Pete’s hands down to rest over his heart. “Breath. Deep, like me.”

For a few minutes they stayed like this. Breathing deep breaths in and out, staring at each other. The water was getting colder now. Patrick noticed it first but didn’t say anything because if Pete needed him, he would stay here forever. 

Pete did notice the change once he’d calmed down and rushed to shut it off.

“It’s freezing. Doesn’t that bother you?”

Patrick wanted to remind Pete the he was used to cold showers anyway. But he didn’t want to bring up his torture right now. Not after the moment they just had. So he just shrugged and smiled as Pete wrapped a fluffy towel around him.

“Let’s go get ready for the show.”


	44. Big Brown Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been trying to update this for a few days but I couldn't get into my account.

It was almost time to leave:

Patrick was dressed, standing in front of their mirror, looking over his outfit. He liked it. More now that it smelled like Pete.

Speaking of which he really wants the alpha to scent him before they go.

He found the alpha with Andy in the living room putting their guitars in cases.

Pete looked up when Patrick came in and whistled. “Hey there handsome.”

Patrick just blushed and rolled his eyes, “Yeah yeah. Will you scent me before we go?”

“Of course.” Pete would never need to be asked twice, Patrick’s scent was intoxicating.

“Thanks.” 

Patrick moved forward to stand in front of Pete.

“You really do look great by the way.” Pete whispered.

He wrapped his arms around Patrick’s waist and pulled him, so their stomachs were touching. He leaned down and pecked his lips, then nudged his chin to the side with his nose and ran it down his neck. They held each other close and scented one another.

They ended up getting lost in it, scent drunk off each other again. They didn’t stop until Andy cleared his throat, in an over dramatic attempt at getting their attention.

“As hot as that was to watch can we please get going? I wanna see our friends!” Joe whined. 

Joe had been extra excited the past two days. Any time Andy got the chance he pulled him into their bedroom to try and wear him out but the omega was insatiable. 

He was finally going to see Brendon again. He hadn’t seen him in person in months, since the last time he was in LA. 

And he was going to meet Brendon’s mate or mates. He remembered the omega said he met some people that he was in a relationship with. He just didn’t know if they were alphas or betas or other omegas. Before Patrick came along, Brendon was only one of two omegas that Joe knew. He was super excited for them to meet. The rest of Brendon’s band were alphas and betas. Brendon had said that he shared a few heats with them, but the relationships didn’t work very well because he wanted something more. Maybe these new people or person were what he was looking for.

Patrick knew Joe was excited and he was thankful because seeing Joe so happy made some of his own nerves go away for the time being. He hoped that whoever Joe’s friend was is nice. He figured he must be to be friends with Joe but he could never be sure.

 

In the car, Pete got a text from one of the guys in Panic!, he showed it to Andy first. He knew it would upset Joe and Andy being his alpha he wanted to know what to do.

“Ryan just texted.” Andy started. Looking in the rear view mirror at Joe.

“What’d he say? They better be coming or I’m gonna hunt—"

“They’re still coming, but he says they’re running late.”

“Ugh! Those guys need clocks sewn into their foreheads.”

Patrick couldn’t help but chuckle at that. He wasn’t laughing at Joe, just that way he said what he said. It was such a Joe thing, so obscure and random but said with the seriousness of a eulogy.

 

Walking into the bar Patrick’s eyes flickered all over the place, there were posters all over the walls, floor to ceiling of different bands, some he’d never heard of, others had been famous for decades. There was a small wooden stage in the back corner, big enough for what they would be doing. There were already drums set up and multiple mic stands scattered around.

They walked into the back area, a sign read employees only, Patrick hesitated a moment, but Andy and Pete were walking in like they belonged, so he followed along.

A tall, muscular, older man, maybe in his early 50s, Patrick guessed, came over to them. He smelled like old cigars and whiskey and had dog tags hanging around his neck. A soldier then? He had a lot of tattoos, that seemed to cover everywhere but his face.

“Andy, Pete. Good to see you again. Joe, how have you been?”

Patrick was surprised, he knew he shouldn’t be, they told him this place was omega friendly, but the concept was still new to him.

“Great. We’ve got a new singer.” Joe turned and slung his arm around Patrick’s shoulders, “This is Patrick Stump.”

The man smiled and nodded at him, “Pleasure to meet you sonny.”

“You too.” Patrick mumbled.

“Well you boys know where everything is, make yourselves comfortable. This’ll be your room to hang out in when your not out there. With limited spaces I had to put two bands per room but that Panic! band said they wanted to share with you. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all, they’re good friends of ours.” Andy answered.

“Well good, try not to get too rowdy.” He winked at Pete and left them alone.

“He seemed pretty welcoming.” Patrick started, he wasn’t sure what to make of the old man, his appearance didn’t seem like it would match his personality. 

“Yeah, Danny is a good guy. He’s had some hard times.”

“What do you mean?”

Andy and Pete shared a look. A look that Patrick came to know as the ‘should we tell’ look.

“His son was an omega. He used scent blockers to pass as a beta so he could join the army. One day some alphas found out his secret and they killed him.”

“That’s horrible.” 

“Yeah. That’s why he opened this bar as an omega friendly zone. He volunteers with OSR sometimes too.”

It was quiet for a while after that.

 

“Let’s go get some practice on the stage so Patrick can feel what it’s like.”

Out on the stage, Andy took a seat behind the drums and Pete lead him to the middle of the stage.

“You’ll stand right here, I’ll be to you left and Joe is over the right.”

Pete moved a mic stand in front of him and adjusted it to his height.

“If you get nervous just look at one of us. Okay? We’re right here. You can even step back and turn away from the audience when you don’t have lines to sing if you want.”

“K. Will I have to talk? Like in between songs?”

“No. I will.”

“Oh good.” That alone was enough relief for Patrick to relax a bit more. Singing he thinks he could handle, talking, no way. The words in the songs are already planned out. Talking he would have to improvise.

Patrick stood still for a moment, staring out into the empty bar room, trying to picture it full of people.

“Alright, what song should we practice?”

“Uh, Calm before the Storm?”

“Fitting.”

 

Andy tapped his sticks together, a steady rhythm, and they started to play.

 

Sat outside my front window

This story's going somewhere

He's well hung and I am hanging up

There's a song on the radio that says:

"Let's get this party started"

So let's get this party started

What you do on your own time's just fine

My imagination's much worse…

 

Patrick was actually feeling rather calm, he was even excited to perform, but the fear of the audience still hung in his mind. 

He closed his eyes and imagined the bar full of people…watching him, he started to feel panicked, but then he felt something press up against his side. Something else touched his neck.

He opened his eyes and glanced over to see Pete leaning on him, head resting on his shoulder.

It made him smile, and for a moment he forgot they were even on stage.

Pete was right, looking at his boyfriend when he felt nervous had worked. He didn’t feel as scared.

He even looked over at Joe, head banging next to him.

It came to a break in the song where vocals weren’t needed. He took Pete’s advice again and turned around to face Andy. Careful not to trip over his cords going from his guitar.

The alpha immediately gave him a reassuring smile and mouthed ‘you okay?’

Patrick didn’t need to think about it this time, he nodded quickly and mouthed back ‘yeah’.

He went back to his mic when he heard his part coming back around.

The rest of the song was perfect. Even Danny came out to give them a round of applause when they finished.

 

The show had started, the first band, new to the LA music scene was on right now. 

Much to Joe’s disappointment Panic! still hadn’t arrived yet. He had been whining and begging Andy and Pete to call them. They did once but that was almost an hour ago. 

“Can we call them again?” Joe begged.

“No. They’ll be here soon.”

“But we didn’t even get to hang out.”

“I know, but I have a surprise for you.”

“What?”

“Uh uh, I’m not telling you unless you promise to behave. At least until they get here.” Andy was only teasing him. 

He knew Joe would behave. He always did. Joe might complain and whine sometimes, but he never deliberately misbehaved to where Andy would punish him. The alpha hoped it would stay like that, he didn’t think he could ever punish Joe anyway.

“Alright I promise, I promise.”

“Panic! is taking a break while Ryan and the others go back to Vegas for a few weeks, so B will be staying with us.”

“Yes! Really?!? This is gonna be amazing!” Joe climbed into Andy’s lap and hugged his neck.

Andy honestly didn’t care if Joe bugged him about calling more, he just enjoyed seeing his omega so happy.

Pete and Patrick glanced up from their position on the couch. Pete was sitting sideways with Patrick laying between his legs, his back against Pete’s chest. The alpha was scenting him again, nose buried in his boyfriend’s neck.

Ever since the smells of everyone filing into the bar had reached them, the omega had gotten more nervous.

 

Patrick was feeling pretty blissed out. He was enveloped in Pete’s scent. It was everywhere. Still clinging to his clothes, and in the air around him. It’s been almost fifteen minutes since Pete had started scenting him, it was getting stronger and stronger. 

He never wanted to leave.

 

Danny appeared in the doorway, “You guys go on in 5.”

“Thanks Danny.” Andy replied. “You guys ready?” He asked turning to his friends.

“Yeah. I still wish Panic! were here though.”

“They will be, Ryan says they’re only 10 minutes away.”

“I’m ready.” Pete mumbled, his face still pressed in Patrick’s neck.

“I think I am.” Patrick said shyly. He felt a lot better about playing, but he still felt shy about being in front of so many people.

“We’ll be right there with you the whole time.” Joe was calm now, more focused on Patrick than waiting for Panic!.

 

It was time.

They were standing along the side of the stage waiting for the previous band to exit. 

The crowd wasn’t too big. It wasn’t packed, which Patrick was thankful for. And there were actually more omegas than alphas or betas. Something he was inwardly relieved about.

When they walked onstage, Patrick kept his eyes everywhere but the crowd at first, too afraid to look out, he glanced at Pete and got a nod. The alpha’s eyes silently asking if he was alright. He smiled lightly and nodded back.

Slowly he turned to face the audience, most of his nerves were replaced with excitement when he realized that he could only see a couple of rows of people in front of him. 

Right there in the middle of the front row, just a few feet from him, was Kevin and Ben. Cheering and smiling big enough that Patrick actually let out a small laugh. 

He was definitely fine. He felt safer now than he had only a few moments ago. He felt like he could do this. They could do this.

He looked over his shoulder at Andy and smiled widely, nodding that he was ready to start when they were.

Andy noticed the moment Patrick relaxed, he felt the wave of calmness coming from the omega and looked up from his drums to see the omega smiling at him. “Ready?” He hit his sticks together and began counting them in.

Patrick looked at Pete once more before he started to sing.

Hope this is the last time

Cause I'd never say no to you

This conversation's been dead on arrival…

 

They were doing great going into their fourth song when Joe noticed Panic! make their way to the side of the stage. 

He stood in front of them as he played and mouthed ‘you’re late’ at Brendon.

“I’m sorry!” Brendon shouted at him before blowing a kiss.

Joe rolled his eyes but smiled and turned his attention back to the crowd.

Patrick wasn’t nervous anymore, he still turned to Pete, Joe and Andy from time to time, but it was more for playful interaction than fear. He even looked around the crowd when he could, but most of the time he looked at his brothers. He hadn’t seen them this happy in a while. They looked…proud? Patrick always wanted them to be proud of him, but he never felt it like this until now.

When their set ended Patrick turned to jump into Pete’s arms. Hugging his neck, “That was awesome!”

“You were awesome.”

 

Panic! made their way onto the stage and they stood off to the side again to watch.

There were two other guys standing nearby. Joe had noticed them come in with Brendon but he had never seen them before. Maybe they were his boyfriends? He could tell they were both alphas by their scent. One had fluffy blue hair and the other was had short cut hair and he was wearing a black hoodie.

When Panic’s set was over, Brendon immediately came over to hug Joe, “Great job B!”

“Thanks! C’mon, lets get somewhere quieter, there’s some people I want you guys to meet.”

“Us too actually.”

They made their way back to their room, Patrick was staring at Joe’s friend. 

The guy had big brown eyes that were so bright and friendly, it made sense to him that Joe would have a friend like that. 

He looked so familiar, Specifically his eyes.

He couldn’t place him though. 

He really wasn’t sure where he would know him from. 

“These are my mates, Josh and Tyler.”

“Pleasure to meet you both.” Joe shook their hands. 

"Good to see you guys again." Andy said, he and Pete had met Tyler and Josh a few years ago at an OSR conference. 

“So who’s this guy?” Brendon asked, not unkindly, just curiously, “Or have we met? I feel like I know you from somewhere.”

Patrick was surprised, maybe he really did know him. “I was thinking the same actually.”

For a moment both Patrick and Brendon were staring at each other with furrowed brows.

“This is our new singer and Pete's future mate, Patrick Stump, Patrick this is our friend Brendon Urie.”

Both omegas had paled. Their eyes were wide and shocked as they stared at each other.

Patrick felt a little dizzy, his eyes getting watery and dug his nails into Pete’s arm.

Brendon was shaking, his own tears slipping down his face looking at Patrick like he saw a ghost.

“This isn’t possible.” Brendon murmured. Though he didn’t sound like he believed himself.

“Do you guys know each other?” Joe asked.

“I don’t—um…” Brendon started.

"This can't be..." Patrick tried.

Patrick’s brothers walked into the room then.

“Hey that was…” Ben stopped when he noticed the tension in the room.

“Brendon?” Kevin asked. He hadn’t seen the omega in a while, he thought that was him onstage but it had been a while since he'd seen him in person. A few years actually. He used to call and check in with him and Gerard every so often to look for news about Patrick.

Brendon looked at Kevin and Ben, then back to Patrick, “Holy shit.”


	45. Sleepovers Need Junk-food and Deep Conversations

“You’re alive…” Brendon gasped as he enveloped Patrick in a bone crushing hug. He couldn’t understand how this was possible. He thought for sure Patrick was dead long ago. He never actually gave up looking though. Every time he passed by someone with similar hair or eyes he did a double take, he would stare after people he thought might be his friend.

They were both shaking when they pulled back. They hadn’t let go of each other, still standing close enough that they could feel one another’s breath on their faces.

“Yep. In the flesh.” Patrick tried a joke to ease some of the tension but even he couldn’t give a genuine smile for himself.

He was still processing, he just couldn’t believe his childhood best friend was actually in front of him. After all this time, he figured they would’ve forgotten about him.

It was actually Joe that nudged them into a sitting position on the couch, as he took his place beside Andy. Wanting to give the friends some space but also not wanting to miss anything.

“So…how long have you been out here?” Brendon would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little hurt. If Patrick was alive why hadn’t he reached out and talked to him?

Patrick took a deep breath, not wanting to delve into his six year past AGAIN but this was Brendon. And Brendon deserved the truth.

“Um…I guess since I disappeared. My father sold me, I was brought out here and kept for the six years until Pete rescued me a couple months ago.”

“Oh fuck. Uh…are you okay? I mean are you hurt or—”

Patrick could tell Brendon was getting worked up thinking about this.

“No, no, no, not anymore.” Patrick tried calming his friend.

Truthfully neither was calm. Both were constantly looking each other over, trying to figure out if what they were seeing is really real.

“We thought your father killed you.” Brendon looked up at Kevin and Ben, “You guys knew he was found and you didn’t call me?!?!”

“Brendon, clam down, things have been a little hectic lately. We didn’t intentionally not call.”

Patrick didn’t like the idea of having tension between his brothers and lifelong best friend. It was bad enough that his mother had reacted so badly.

“I didn’t know you would remember me. Or even care.” It hurt Patrick to say those things, because he knew if it had been Brendon or Gerard who went missing, he would’ve cared, but he was so used to thinking that nobody cared, that he was confused when someone did care for him.

Brendon looked hurt, “Patrick…how could you possibly think that? You’re one of my best friends, I fuckin love you. So does Gee.” Brendon looked down at his lap when a few tears escaped, “Ya know, me and him still get together and have dinner every year on your birthday.”

Patrick looked up stunned, a sudden longing for the friend he lost long ago, “How is Gee? I mean is he alright?”

“He’s good. Living in New York with Mikey. They have a band too actually. He has an alpha, Frank, he’s a nice guy. They’re actually in Vegas this week for a show, then he was gonna come meet up with me and Joe out here for a break.”

“Gerard’s an omega too?”

“Yeah, who would’ve thought right? All three of us…” Brendon trailed off, not really knowing how to end his sentence.

“Yeah, who would’ve thought? So how did you guys’ parents handle things? I mean was everything okay?” Patrick worried for a moment, afraid that maybe his friends may have been subjected to a similar treatment.

“Uh...okay. Mine were angry at first, let me stay a month after I presented, then told me I should find somewhere else to live. I moved in with Gee. His parents didn’t care that he was an omega and let me live with them until I turned 18.”

Patrick let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god.” Though it was said more to himself than out loud. 

“You said Pete saved you…”

“Yeah.”

“What do you mean…why did he need to…what happened? I mean you said they kept you somewhere…somewhere you couldn’t escape?”

Pete and Patrick’s brothers tensed, Patrick just took a moment to find his words, “I was kept in a basement the whole time. I was chained to the wall or floor so I couldn’t escape if I tried. I was hurt. A lot, but I’m okay now. Pete carried me out and hasn’t left yet.”

“I’m never going too.” The alpha added.

Brendon leaned over to him and hugged him close, “Thank you Pete. Thank you thank you thank you.”

“Hey hey hush, no need for that.” Pete cooed when the omega started shaking again. 

Patrick looked between his friend and boyfriend, Brendon had really handled this information better than anyone else had. He hadn’t demanded details, or threatened Pete, or tried to tell him what was best for him. It was refreshing.

“So Joe mentioned that you guys are going to be mates?”

For a moment Patrick thought maybe he thought too soon, and maybe now is when Brendon snaps, but he couldn’t back out now.

Pete nodded, having the same worry that Patrick was having.

Brendon looked right at Pete, “Please take care of him. And don’t…don’t hurt him.” His voice was small, but as strong as he could make it with tears running down his face.

“I promise.” Pete said softly as he petted Brendon’s hair.

He had already made that same promise to quite a few people already, but he didn’t mind. It was one that he would never break.

“Can we call Gee? I know it might be a bit much right now, but we made a pact after you went missing to call if either of us ever got an update.”

“I would love to. I need to see him.”

“Great.” Brendon pulled out his phone and pressed 1 on speed dial.

For a few moments it rang and rang and they weren’t sure if there was going to be an answer.

“…ugh….hello?” The voice sounded groggy.

“Gee, it’s me, we need to talk.” Brendon said quickly.

“What is it? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Want me to call Josh or Tyler? Where are you? Do I need to kill anyone? Are you safe? Nightmares again?”

Gerard was spitting out questions faster than anybody would ever be able to answer. Patrick wasn’t sure what he meant by nightmares, but he didn’t want to ask in front of everybody else.

He looked over to Tyler and Josh. They were sitting just behind Brendon. Josh on the couch and Tyler on the floor leaning back against his legs. Josh was running his hand through Tyler’s hair absently as they both watched Brendon talk, worried expressions on their faces.

“I’m safe, no killing needed right now, in LA for a show, Tyler and Josh are right here, not hurt, I’m just fine, I had one last night actually but that’s not why I’m calling.” Brendon answered with practiced ease, as if that’s how all of his phone calls normally went.

“Ugh, are you drunk already?”

“No, I’m not drunk….It’s about Patrick.”

Patrick had froze for a moment, the idea of talking on the phone to Gerard after all this time was like a blast from the past that he couldn’t wait for but was also afraid of.

It had been silent on the other end of the line since Brendon mentioned Patrick’s name.

“.….they find his body?”

Gerard knew he must have new information, or he wouldn’t have called like this.

“He’s alive.”

“…”

“He’s sitting right in front of me.”

“…Bren…you sure you’re not dr—”

“Gee?” Patrick finally spoke up. “It’s—It’s me. I’m here, B was telling the truth.”

There was a long pause on the other end.

“If this is a fuckin joke I’ll kick your—”

“It’s not.”

A shaky breath came through, ”Prove it.”

“Facetime me.” Brendon said and hung up without waiting for a reply.

Pete had let his hand move to rest on Patrick’s leg, rubbing circles on his thigh as a way to try and help his boyfriend feel calm again.

It had only been thirty seconds before Brendon’s phone lit up with an incoming facetime call.

He answered it, pointing it only at himself at first, “Breath Gee. Here he is.”

Patrick leaned a little closer to Brendon when he turned the phone towards him.

“Hi Gee.” Patrick’s voice was still shaky, along with the rest of his body, and his tears had started welling up in his eyes again at the sight of his old friend. He had bright red hair, he wasn’t wearing a t shirt, and they could see hickeys all over his neck and chest. It looked like he was sitting on a bed, someone laying down next to him.

Gerard had leaned in closer to the phone, not blinking for what seemed like ages, when he finally glanced to Brendon who nodded and wiped at his own eyes, “It’s you.”

“It’s me.” Patrick answered.

If it weren’t for Patrick’s eyes, and Brendon’s presence he wouldn’t have believed it.

“Kevin and Ben are here too.” Brendon added, panning the camera to face them for a moment before he turned it back to Patrick and himself. It was more of a way to give Gerard more proof.

The red haired omega brought his hand to cover his mouth as he too started crying. He’d spent the last six years thinking this guy was dead. His best friend. One of the only people he ever felt like truly understood him and he just magically turned up alive.

“Gee?” Came a mumbled groan from the other end of the phone.

Gerard looked down at his lap as he tried to control his breathing when Brendon and Patrick noticed someone sit up and wrap their arms around their friend.

“Hi Frank.” Brendon said softly.

“Bren? What’s wrong?” Frank asked as he took the phone from Gerard and rubbed his back as the omega laid across his lap.

“Patrick. He’s alive. He’s here.” Brendon moved his arm out further so Patrick would be in the shot again.

“Shit. Nice to finally meet you. I heard a lot about you over the past few years.”

“Really?” Patrick was surprised again. His friends still talk about him at least.

“Oh yeah. We always looked for you when we were in Illinois. Hoping you would turn up one day. What happened?”

“Not over the phone.”

“Alright. The other guys already left for vacation, we’ll be out there tomorrow sometime.”

“Good. Then we can have a proper reunion.”

“Where are we staying? We can’t all crowd Pete, Andy and Joe, they deserve better than that.”

“You shitheads know you’re always welcome.” Pete leaned across Patrick and grinned at Frank. 

“You sure?”

“Positive.” Andy cut in.

“You got it mr. alpha sir.” That was what Pete liked about him, Frank would join Pete in the good natured teasing of Andy.

“Ugh.” He didn’t really hate being called alpha, I mean he didn’t like it but it never bothered him as much as he let on. But he groaned and pretended to be annoyed to let Pete and Frank have their moments of fun.

 

They all went back to their apartment, the entire ride consisted of Brendon catching up with Patrick. Mostly Brendon sharing what he and Gerard had been up to, Patrick supplied some information but decided to wait on telling him the more gory details of his experience for when Gerard got here so he would only have to tell it once more.

“Alright, now we need to figure out who’s sleeping where?” Andy opened the floor to suggestions.

Patrick got an idea, although he didn’t want to overstep, he couldn’t help but be too excited so he spit it out.

“Can the three of us and Gee stay in a room together?” Patrick said as he gestured to himself, Joe and Brendon.

“Of course, take whichever room you like.” Pete offered, he was happy to see his omega so happy and excited.

Brendon looked to his own alphas, “This okay?” He didn’t think they would say no, they never really did to be honest, but he still wanted to make sure they were cool with it.

“Of course.”

“Yeah baby you need this. I think it would be good for you guys to reconnect.”

“Alright, then that leaves the four of us and Frank.”

“You guys take the other room, me and Pete can pull out an air mattress in our spare.”

“You sure? We don’t want to put you out—”

“I insist.”

That’s how Pete and Andy ended up sharing an air mattress in their studio, Frank would be on the couch, Tyler and Josh in Pete and Patrick’s room, and Joe, Brendon, Patrick and soon to be Gerard sharing Andy and Joe’s bed. 

It was definitely a full house but somehow it felt alright, calming even. To know that his many people were all on the same page with each other.

 

Later that night, all the omegas were sitting on the bed, it was like a regular sleepover, they had talked Pete and Josh into getting them copious snacks from the corner store while Andy and Tyler fixed up the air mattress.

“So, like what are the chances that the friend me and Gerard always told you about was the person joining your pack and mating with Pete?” Brendon was loving the irony in everything. Trying to keep his mind off of what Patrick must’ve gone through all that time.

“I know, I’m just happy that you too get along. All this time, I was worried about you and them getting along, I never would’ve dreamed that you were the one we always talked about.”

“You guys talked about me that much?”

“Yeah, it was kind of like a coping mechanism. I mean, for me an Gerard it was nice to talk about you to someone who cared. I mean our band members tried to understand but it was hard to explain the whole omega feelings thing. Joe understood more and he was always easier to talk too.”

“How did you guys meet anyway? You know Gerard too?”

“They were in Chicago for a show, we went to see them play. After that they came and stayed with us a few times or we would go out to them. Pete and Mikey actually used to spend their ruts together.”

“Wow, that’s a disturbing image.”

“You’re not upset are you?” Brendon hoped he hadn’t messed up telling Patrick about Pete and Mikey.

“No, I’m not upset. A little grossed out. I mean Mikey was always like a brother to us and the idea of someone like a brother doing things with my boyfriend is just blegh.”

“True true. I said the same thing.”

“Has Chicago changed much?” Patrick desperately wanted change in topic now.

“Ha. It’s not any more omega friendly than it was before, but there is less pack against pack fighting. After your father….”  
Brendon stopped himself, not sure if he was aloud to bring this up in front of Patrick yet.

“It’s okay. Really, I can’t go my whole life being afraid to talk about him.”

“Alright. After you disappeared, he did too. Then a bunch of people from his pack, alphas mostly, all left soon after.”

“Do you think they followed him? Started a new pack somewhere else?”

“Not sure. But I always make it a point to have alphas that I trust with me when we visit. Before I met Tyler and Josh, I asked my band members to go everywhere with me. They never complained but I could tell it wasn’t their favorite thing.”

“How often do you go back?”

“Not often. Only a few times a year with Gee to see his parents and look for you.”

It had gotten quite again, no one knowing where to take the conversation.

Joe thankfully had plenty of experience with awkward silences, “So, Josh and Tyler huh?” He winked at Brendon, earning a laugh and playful shove in return. “Have you mated yet?”

“Yeah. We’ve spent a lot of my heats together before it happened though. What about you and Andy hmm? Mr. Sexy keeping you satisfied?”

Joe snorted a laugh, undeterred by Brendon’s brashness, “Mmmmm, everyday baby.”

“I can attest to this being true.” Patrick added, earning a round of laughs.

“Alright, alright, but you and Pete huh? That’s gotta be fun?”

Patrick blushed, “We are taking things slow. After everything that happened with my…my owner, I’m just not ready for anything yet.”

“Owner?”

“Oh…uh sorry, the guy that bought me he…I know he isn’t my owner anymore. Pete is. But I don’t know what to call him when I talk about him.”

“Don't apologize. What was his name?”

“I don’t know. I only ever called him master or sir.”

Joe looked over at Patrick, waiting to see if he needed to provide a way out of the conversation.

Brendon once again didn’t know how to handle the information, he didn’t mind talking about sex. He actually enjoyed the subject very much. But the idea of Patrick being hurt or forced into anything made him want to puke but he didn’t want to make things uncomfortable after they just got reunited so he tried to suppress his emotions enough to change the topic again.

“How do you like being in a band?” Music was a safe topic right?

“It’s amazing. I can’t believe I actually performed tonight.”

“You were amazing.”

“Yeah right, I was terrified.”

“He’s right you were awesome. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

 

They all fell asleep holding onto one another, Patrick was sandwiched in between Joe and Brendon. Joe was pressed up against his back, Brendon’s forehead against his, there were arms wrapped around his waist, his shoulders, even their legs were tangled up together, not that he could tell you who each limb belonged too. Not that he cared. It felt amazing to know that he had Brendon back. And soon he would have Gee back. It was almost too good to be true.


	46. Would You Lay With Me and Just Forget the World?

Patrick woke up feeling particularly squished. Brendon was half on top of him, one arm wrapped around Patrick’s neck, pulling him close, the other arm intertwined with one of his own. Holding his wrist like he himself holds Pete’s. Brendon’s face was buried in Patrick’s hair. His own face pushed against Brendon’s chest.

Pressed up against his back, arm around his middle, hot breath on the back of his neck, Joe was as close as Brendon was, the two of them completing a human sandwich that was inescapable.

For a moment, Patrick debated trying to get up but every time he twitched the arms and legs surrounding him tightened like a snake. He smiled, would’ve laughed, if it weren’t for his sleeping friends. 

He didn’t want to wake them up. 

Instead he stayed still, looking over Brendon’s features. He had changed so much, save for his eyes. Brendon’s eyes were so big and brown. Just like they had been when they were kids.

Six years. Six years since he saw this person and here, they were tangled up together in his future pack alphas bed. 

If his past self could see him now.

Gerard was coming today. With his alpha. It was weird thinking about that. Brendon, Gerard and himself, they were all omegas, and they each had alphas. As their mates. That was also something he never thought would happen. 

Getting to see anyone from his past was a blessing but now, his mom, brothers, and now both of his best friends were all going to be in the same place. And it wasn’t for his funeral like everyone had assumed it would be.

Looking at his friend now he realized how lucky he was. An odd thought, he knows, considering his past but, he had people that cared for him. Cared for him enough to not give up on him after years of no news. He knew things were still rocky with his mother, but with his brothers, and friends, everything was as it should be.

He just hoped Gerard would react like Brendon had. The last thing he needed was someone trying to convince him to move back to Chicago or threatening Pete.

He was supposed to be driving in from Vegas sometime today. He was excited. Relieved almost, as if Gerard was a piece of a puzzle that he needed to complete to feel whole again.

For now, he would just stay as he was, staring at Brendon in his sleep, now he sounded like some creep, be couldn’t help it. Everything still felt like a dream. This was definitely not one that he wanted to wake up from. 

Everything was perfect. Or as perfect as he could get.

He took a deep breath, just noticing how much the room and especially the bed smelled like Andy and Joe. It was a comforting scent. 

For a moment he let his mind wander back to what he was told in school about omegas only liking the scent of their own alphas, any other alpha scent was said to make omegas sick. 

He realized that a lot of what he learned in school was wrong. Patrick didn’t hate the scent of Andy or his brothers. Or Josh or Tyler. Even though he only met them last night for a few minutes, they seemed like nice guys. Their scents were calming too.

Pete’s scent was by far his favorite though. It was like a warm, happy air surrounded him whenever he smelled Pete. It was intoxicating.

He figured he should probably reevaluate everything he learned in school about omegas, he guessed it was all probably quite a stretch from the truth.

So far everything he learned about an omega’s life from school paralleled what happened when he was held captive way more than it did with how Pete treated him. 

In school he was taught that omegas were meant to serve an alpha’s needs and wishes as the alpha requests without question or they would be punished. Pete was literally the opposite. Asking him what he wanted instead of ordering him. And he really didn’t believe that Pete would ever punish him for anything.

He briefly wondered how similar Brendon or Gerard’s alphas treated them. Judging by the way Tyler and Josh were so relaxed and how Frank had comforted Gerard during their facetime yesterday he assumed they were similar to Pete and Andy when it came to how they treated omegas.

This he was thankful for, he didn’t want his friends to be with anybody who would hurt them.

“Shhhhhhh.” Brendon shushed lightly. He hadn’t even opened his eyes; the only reason Patrick knew he had made the noise was because he felt his jaw move a bit on top of his head.

“I didn’t say anything.” Patrick said softly, tilting his head again to look at Brendon’s face.

“You think loud. You always did when you were excited or worried.” Brendon murmured.

Patrick didn’t want to admit it but he was right. This was someone who almost knew him better than he knew himself. Even being distanced for years, it was like that connection was never broken.

“Are Tyler and Josh nice alphas?”

“Hmm, is that what you’re worried about?” Brendon finally opened his eyes to look down at Patrick’s face.

“Sorry, it’s just, I have a hard time trusting alphas. I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“Don’t apologize. I understand. If I didn’t know Pete and Andy so well, I would be having the same worried thoughts about you. Tyler and Josh are amazing. Somehow they put up with my hyper ass and never complain or punish me for it. I think that’s what turns people off from me, a hyper omega that doesn’t like being told what to do all the time is bound to annoy people.”

“Do you know Gee’s alpha very well?”

“Frank is a good guy. You’ll see, when you meet him, it’ll make sense why Gee is with him. They make a good match.”

Patrick nodded, trusting Brendon’s opinion on the matter, “I am relieved you and Pete get along. My mother is having difficulties with that subject.”

“What do you mean? Is she here?” Brendon was surprised, he didn’t remember seeing her last night at the concert.

“She’s staying at a hotel nearby with Kev and Ben. Her, Pete and I are having a disagreement about me.”

Brendon raised his eyebrows but said nothing, waiting for Patrick to continue. 

“She wants Pete to have me chipped or have him sign over ownership to her so I’ll have to go back and live with her in Chicago.”

“Wow. I never thought she would even consider something like that.”

“Neither did I. Kev thinks it’s just her way of coping or trying to cope with the fear of me disappearing again.”

“What did she say when Pete said no?”

“She—wait how did you know Pete said no?”

“I told you, I know Pete and Andy pretty well. I know he would never agree to something like that.”

Patrick didn’t know what to say, it was nice knowing that Brendon was so supportive. He nuzzled his face against Brendon’s chest again, humming when he felt the other bury a hand in his hair and lightly scratch at his scalp.

“How did your mom and brothers react when you presented?”

“My mom was great, took care of me through that first heat. Not sure about my brothers. The first time I saw them after presenting was when they came out here a few weeks ago. They don’t seem to care that I’m an omega though.”

“Jesus. It shouldn’t have taken six years for you to be found. I’m so sorry, we should’ve looked harder or tracked you down somehow.”

“No, no. Hey, it’s not your fault. I only blame my father and my ow—they guy that bought me. They are the only ones who should be blamed.”

“Still, six years is a long time. You shouldn’t have had to go through that.”

“No one should.” Patrick said more to himself.

Brendon just squeezed again, hoping it would remind Patrick he was safe.

“How do you think Gee will react?” Patrick asked.

“Probably as you would expect, maybe a little protective or clingy. We uh…it was hard…really hard when you were gone. Neither of us coped well but Gee, he fell a little deeper into the depression from thoughts of you being gone. I tried to remind him that you might still be alive but I think that was harder than thinking you were dead. If he thought you were dead he might have been able to grieve but the possibility of you being alive made him question everything, never got any closure. I didn’t either but for me it was comforting thinking you were alive.”

“I never thought this day would come.” 

Brendon thought for a moment, trying to find the right words.

“We were scared. When I presented, it was a bit distressing with my parents, I could tell they were uncomfortable with having an omega in the house. When my heat ended I called Gee, found out he presented the same. When I told him how my parents reacted, he invited me to move in. He was gonna invite you to move in too, whether you were an omega or a beta, even an alpha. We didn’t care. We just wanted you close. We both tried calling you for a few days after but we never got an answer. We figured if you were an omega your heat was just lasting longer than usual but then a week had passed and still no word. Then we got a call from Kevin. He told us you were missing. Thought your dad killed you. We started looking everywhere we could. Had a lot of free time since our school didn’t accept omegas. We stayed in the treehouse for a few weeks. Hoping that if you were still alive out there you might find your way back. Never thought you could be all the way in California.” 

Patrick felt a few tears escape down his face, “I thought about you guys. When I first presented, I knew my father would react badly, I just didn’t know he would…I knew I wouldn’t be welcome. I thought about asking Gee if could move in with him, I just never got the chance. Then after I was taken, I used to dream about what you two were doing. I was always afraid of what happened when you guys presented. I just hoped you were safe.”

Brendon thought for a moment, trying to figure out a way to change the topic of conversation when he saw Patrick get a far away look in his eyes.

“So how do you feel about joining a pack someday?”

“I’m happy. I trust Pete and Andy as alphas. Even when we we’re kids, I never fully trusted alphas, well besides my brothers. But, Pete is different.”

“I know.”

“It’s nice knowing I get a chance to do things I want. Being in a band is finally an actual thing I can do.”

“Maybe we’ll get to tour together someday.”

Patrick chuckled lightly, afraid of disturbing Joe, who was still sleeping, “Yeah, and we’ll sleepover on each other’s tour buses.” Even if they were joking it was fun to dream about the future again. He, Brendon and Gerard used to talk about this kind of stuff when they were kids but that’s all he ever saw them as…dreams.

“Are Josh and Tyler okay with the alphas in your band?”

“Yeah. They know I would never cheat. Besides, the guys in my band are friends with them too. They wouldn’t do anything to hurt me and my relationship.”

Patrick nodded and sighed contentedly when Brendon tilted his head down to inhale Patrick’s scent through his hair, “I still can’t believe you’re really here.”

“Me neither. Everything has felt like a dream since Pete found me.”

“How did that happen anyway?”

“Hmm, I would really rather wait til Gee gets here, I just, I don’t want to have to say everything twice…again.”

“That’s fine. Whatever makes it easiest for you.”

“Thank you. Retelling it over and over is just a constant reminder of what happened.”

“Then I assume Andy and Joe know everything already?”

“Yeah. Pete and I have both told them. I’m pretty sure they both know everything by now. Especially Joe, I kinda turned him into my personal therapist with all the whining and questions I have for him.”

“I’m sure he doesn’t mind. Besides, he’s probably relieved that he isn’t the only omega in the house anymore.”

“Yeah probably but I still feel like a bother. I mean I just kinda showed up one day and now he has to deal with me being around him all the time. Sharing Andy and Pete with me is probably not his favorite thing though.”

“If Joe thought you were bothering him, he wouldn’t be cuddling you right now. He’ll love you like I do if he doesn’t already.”

 

Andy popped his head in, seeing the omegas still curled around each other in bed and after hearing their whispering he stepped further into his room.

“Breakfast is almost ready.” He said softly, leaning down to press a kiss to Joe’s neck. His omega’s eyes were closed but he could tell by the way he was breathing that he was awake.

“Thanks, we’ll be out soon.” Joe murmured as Andy turned to leave them alone again.

Patrick and Brendon had jumped slightly at his voice, “Why didn’t you tell us you were awake?”

“You didn’t ask.”

“We’re sorry. We didn’t want to wake you up.”

Joe huffed out a laugh, “I was awake before you.”

“Oh.”

“By the way, I do love you and you are not a bother. Ever.” Joe said, squeezing Patrick to his chest and then rolling out of bed.

Brendon smiled widely, “Told you.” 

 

It was just after 11am when there was a knock at the door. Patrick had naturally assumed it was one of his brothers stopping by, but then a frantic looking guy with bright red hair and raw eyes came into the room, followed by a slightly taller black-haired guy who looked like he could use a nap.

For a moment time seemed to stand still. 

Patrick recognized them immediately from their facetime yesterday. Plus, just like Brendon, Gerard’s eyes hadn’t changed. Not the color anyway. But Patrick could see the confusion and fear and anger in them. It looked like he had been crying since the call last night judging by the circles under his eyes and the red around the rim.

“Patrick?” His voice was strained and worn out. He had been crying then.

Patrick stood up and smiled gently, just like he did when they were kids and Gerard got stressed out about something.

“Hiya Gee.”

Slowly, Gerard stepped towards him, similar to the way Brendon had last night, unsure, afraid, and questioning. He was looking over Patrick’s whole being as if searching for a clue that it might not really be him.

The hug they shared was shaky. Well, Gerard was shaking, Patrick was trying to comfort him with his scent. It seemed to work after a few minutes, finally breaking apart slightly to stare at each other some more.

Gerard looked over to Brendon for a moment, the two of them seemingly having a silent conversation with their eyes. 

Patrick wanted to ask what they were thinking about, but he figured they needed time just like he did. It was like an old part of their lives had become new again.

“C’mon, let’s go talk. We could all use a break from the alpha pheromones in here. Besides, it looks like Frank could use some coffee or a pillow.” Joe was teasing but he did actually want to help his friends talk. They were all tense again and he didn’t like it. He led them all to the fire escape, crawling out first, waiting for them to follow.

The four of them sat down in a circle, drowning in the silence when Brendon spoke up.

“I’m glad you came.”

Gerard couldn’t stopped looking at Patrick. “This isn’t possible.”

“Gee it’s okay—” Brendon started but was cut off when Gerard lifted a hand to silence him. Brendon obeyed, he knew this was going to be difficult for his friend, he didn’t want to make things harder.

“No, its not okay. I’m not okay. This is…seeing you is amazing but what…what happened? Where were you all this time?” His voice was frantic though he was trying to be gentle, but he was scared. Like he didn’t actually want to know the answer.

Patrick took a deep breath, looked over to Joe, silently asking for support. Joe nodded, he would jump in if he needed to.

“Alright uh,” Patrick looked back and forth between Brendon and Gerard, he didn’t know where to look while he talked, the pain and angst in his friends’ eyes was almost too much to take.

He told his story again, similar to the way he told his brothers, he felt more comfortable telling his friends about the actual torture than he did telling his brothers. Joe jumped in when Patrick had trouble retelling parts, mostly about his injuries in the hospital. Patrick was looking at his lap for most of the conversation. Seeing them flinch every few seconds proved to be too much to look at.

He was able to look his friends in the eyes when he talked about Pete. The beam of sunshine in his story. Gerard actually sighed in relief when Patrick said Pete was going to become his mate and he was going to join Andy’s pack.

“Thank fuck. At least we won’t have to worry about you not being safe anymore.”

Brendon had been eerily quiet during his talk. 

“Bren?” Gerard took his hand in his own, “Talk to me buddy.”

“I just—I knew it was bad but…Patrick how the hell are still alive? I mean that guy…the things he did to…”

“Much longer and I probably wouldn’t be alive. He always made sure I was just strong enough to keep breathing until he wanted me to stop. He used shots of adrenaline to keep me awake and…as alert as possible I guess. My doctor said I was given a few different drugs. Some of them being heat inducers or sleeping pills, or roofies. It’s…I am better. I’m not in pain anymore.”

Patrick was trying to comfort them, he could tell it was working for Gerard. He had calmed down more, but Brendon seemed to be having the most trouble processing. The only sign that Brendon was even listening was the way he looked up and nodded when Patrick said, “The guy that had me, he’s dead.”

Brendon started to crawl back through the window, “I just, I just need a minute.”

“Alright.” 

"He'll come around." Gee said looking at Patrick.

While the other’s stayed outside, continuing their conversation, catching up, Brendon walked through the house until he found the alphas sitting in the living room. Josh looked up at him first, “What happened?”

Everyone turned to look at him, “I just, um, Pete can we, can we talk?”

“Of course.” Pete followed Brendon to the kitchen, confused when Brendon chose to talk to him instead of his own alphas when he’s this upset.

Brendon didn’t say anything, just hugged Pete tightly around his stomach. Pete put his arms down slowly around the omega, “I take it Patrick told you what happened?” He had known Brendon for a long time now, he never got this upset before, the only new factor was Patrick.

Brendon nodded, squeezing the alpha a bit tighter when a few tears escaped.

“He’s a lot better ya know. Physically and mentally. He changed a lot since that day.” Pete was used to comforting omegas, usually he avoided talking about the subject that had upset them, but in this case he figured it was just what he needed to feel calm again.

“He’s safe now. The guy that hurt him is dead. He can’t be hurt anymore.”

“Thank you.”

“I told you last night, you don’t need to thank me.”

“I want to. You’re the reason I got my best friend back.”

“He talked about you guys ya know. When he was in the hospital and when we came home.”

“Really?”

“I should’ve put things together, he even mentioned your names a few times, but I never imagined that you two were who he was talking about. What are the chances of that happening?”

Pete realized that this is what was making Brendon calm down, so he kept going, “He told me about you guys when you were kids. Comic books and singing in your treehouse. He thinks about you guys a lot.”

Brendon finally let himself smile. Hiding his face in Pete’s neck.

“It feels weird seeing him again.”

“He probably feels the same way.”

Brendon pulled back, wiping at his face as he sniffled.

 

“Everything okay?” Tyler had come into the room when he felt Brendon’s emotion drop through their bond.

“Yeah. Yeah. It will be.”

Pete turned to look at Tyler and jerked his head in the direction of the omega. 

Tyler got the message stepping closer to pull his mate into a hug.

Turning to Pete again, “Tell Josh to come here please.”

Pete nodded and left to find the other alpha.

 

While Patrick and Joe had been telling Brendon and Gerard what happened, he and Andy relayed the information to the other alphas. They were tense listening to it, but none of them having known Patrick before, they were able to control their emotions better, though Josh had looked particularly sickened when he heard about Patrick’s injuries. They all had the same question that everyone else had when they heard the story, ‘is the guy dead?’

Pete took great pleasure in relaying that bit of information.

Once everyone was settled, he finally relaxed.


	47. Inner Thoughts

The next few hours had gone by quietly, Brendon spent some time with his alphas trying to calm down some more, the other omegas retreated back to Andy and Joe’s bedroom to talk more. Frank had fallen asleep on the couch and Andy had left for work leaving Pete to himself. 

It was kind of a relief having some time to work on some writing without any distractions. For once, everything was calm. He wasn’t worried about Patrick or Joe, Andy was working like normal, so despite having some house guests in various parts of their apartment it was a quiet afternoon.

 

Patrick had caught Gerard up on mostly everything that happened since he was rescued, making sure to include everything he told Brendon just to ensure everyone was on the same page.

“When do you plan on talking to your mom?” Gerard asked, he was concerned for his friend. Patricia had always been kind when they were young, always gentle and soft spoken.  
He figured this issue she and Patrick were having wouldn’t last too long.

“I don’t know. I would love to make up with her, but I don’t want to if she just continues with her mission to get me back to Chicago.”

“It is a little surprising. She probably just figured you would be going back if you were ever found.”

“You think I should?”

“No. Not if that’s not what you want. I just mean she probably never thought you wouldn’t want to. Ya know, it hasn’t exactly been easy on any of us. At some point she probably got it in her head that if you were alive, and if you got found, she probably always figured you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Are you really happy with Pete? I’m not gonna try and convince you one way or the other but, I’m just curious.”  
Patrick started blushing, “Yeah, I’m happy. Really happy. I love him. That probably sounds fast but…I can’t help it. When I’m with him I feel like I can do anything.”

Gerard noticed the way Patrick started smiling when he talked about Pete, “Good. Cuz me and Bren would have to kick his ass if you weren’t happy here.”

“Now you sound like my brothers.”

“Pete would never do anything to hurt or upset Patrick.” Joe chimed in, “He loves him too. Has for a while. The day after they met, when Pete came home, it was like something in his brain switched. Patrick became the epicenter of his world. It was adorable.”

“Shut up.” Patrick lightly pushed at Joe’s shoulder, embarrassed by the teasing but not upset. Not really. He knew it was a friendly joke.

“Do you know when you’re gonna mate?”

“Um, not sure. I’m not…I don’t think I’m ready for…that.”

“Have you talked to Pete about what we talked about before? He should definitely know how you feel.”

“Not yet. I think I’d rather have you and Andy there. I thought about it a lot. I just, I think talking about sex would be easier if I wasn’t the only omega in the room. I’m just not used to talking about that sort of thing.”

“Anytime you want.”

“Sounds like you’re still as innocent as ever.” Gerard added.

“Why does everyone use that word?” Patrick asked, though it was a question more directed at himself.

“Because it is true.”

“What part are you afraid of?” Gerard asked carefully. He wasn’t exactly sure if Patrick was willing to talk about this.

Patrick thought for a moment, “Well, the pain. When I was…it always hurt. A lot. And I never…never wanted it. And I know Joe says it’s not supposed to hurt but…what if it does?”

“I promise, Pete will not force you into anything. You make the decisions. And if you start and want to stop just say so and he will. He would also never take any chances with your safety or comfort. He loves you. Don’t force yourself to try and do something you aren’t ready for though.” Joe, always the voice of reason.

“I know he does. And I do trust him. I think I just need some time before I’m ready to try anything.”

“That’s understandable. So you’re singing? I told you it would happen. Remember? I told you, your voice is too good to keep to yourself.”

“Yes I remember, you also told me that you were gonna ‘move into a treehouse to avoid the’---what was it…’humans of earth’.”

Gerard scoffed like his grandchild was insulted, “I stand by that, living in a treehouse away from everyone would be amazing.”

“How would your alpha feel about that?” Joe chided.

“Frankie would be down if it weren’t for the band.”

“What is he like? I only talked to him on facetime once.”

It was Gerard’s turn to blush, something Patrick had never thought would be possible. He had never seen Gerard get embarrassed by anything. 

“He’s…he’s perfect. He get’s me…ya know? Like, a best friend but…a best friend that has sex with me.”

Patrick and Joe both laughed at that, only Gee would be so blunt, “Said so eloquently.”

“I know what you mean. I think of Andy the same way.” 

 

Brendon came in, “Sorry that I kinda ditched you guys.” His hair was sticking out in all directions, multiple hickeys covered his neck, a pair of dark bites overlapping on his mating gland.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you alright?”

Brendon stared at Patrick a moment before answering, “The thought of you…of that happening to you…it was just too much. I didn’t…know how to handle it.”

Patrick reached out to pull Brendon onto the bed, “C’mon, cuddles will make you feel better.”

“Hah, you sound just like Josh.”

“Well he sounds like a smart guy, c’mon cuddle me. We’ve got lost time that needs to be made up for.”

Brendon didn’t say anything else, just obediently climbed onto the bed beside Patrick and snuggled into his side, wrapping his arms around him and laying his head on his shoulder.

Patrick wrapped his arms around Brendon to hold him in place and kissed his head. Hoping this would be the last time his past effected his friends like this. Not that he minded the cuddles, he actually enjoyed that, he just didn’t like the reason they were needed.

Gerard stayed on the other side of Patrick but reached over to rub along one of Brendon’s arms. Joe had slid closer to Brendon’s back and wrapped around him like he had with Patrick the previous night.

“I’m sorry, we should be comforting you not you comforting me.” Brendon mumbled as he pushed his face into Patrick’s neck.

“Hey, don’t be like that, I’m not the only one with feelings. Just because something bad happened to me doesn’t mean that you guys don’t need support too.”

 

Frank was just waking up from his nap when there was a knock at the door. He debated ignoring it, this wasn’t his home, and he didn’t know if Pete and Andy were expecting somebody, but he also didn’t see either of them around to ask. And he certainly wasn’t gonna let any of the omegas answer the door. It could be anybody out there.

The knocking continued as he was internally tossing the pros and cons around in his head.

“Alright! Alright! Coming.”

He cracked the door open slightly, enough that he was blocking the view of the apartment but closed enough that he could shut it if he needed.

“Who are you?” The guy, an alpha asked.

“Well you’re the one who knocked so why don’t you tell me?” Frank was not in the mood to talk to random hallway people right now.

“Is Pete or Andy home?”

This surprised him slightly, “Depends.”

“On what?” The guy was getting frustrated now.

“On who the fuck you are.” Frank answered with just as much attitude and force as the other guy was giving.

“I’m here to see Patrick. Is he here?”

Now Frank was suspicious, “Just how do you know Patrick?”

“He’s my brother.” The guys voice softened, but Frank didn’t sense any hint of a lie but he still didn’t want to take a chance on trusting him, not after what Pete and Andy told him about what happened to Patrick.

“Prove it.”

The guy looked annoyed, “How? Just go ask him or Andy or Pete, or Joe.”

“PETE!” Frank shouted over his shoulder, making the other man jump.

Pete walked into the room, only slightly concerned about Frank’s shouting, he was naturally a loud person, “What’s wrong?”

Frank stepped aside so Pete could see who was at the door, “This guy wants to see Patrick.”

“Oh, hi Ben.” 

“You guys hire a bodyguard?” Ben said looking at Frank again.

“Frank this is one of Patrick’s brothers, Ben. Ben this is our friend Frank.” 

Frank turned to look at Ben, “You’re lucky.” He walked away, into the kitchen to make himself a snack and to give Pete some privacy. 

“Sorry bout him. He’s…he’s just protective. A bit unorthodox but, he’s a good guy.”

“Anyway, I wanted to talk to Patrick, he uh, he should know, we are going back to Chicago in a few days.”

“Oh, I was hoping to fix things with your mom before then.”

“Me too. But maybe it’s best. Anything else said might make things worse.”

“It’s up to Patrick. If he wants to try and talk to her again or if he wants to have his space, it’s his decision.”

“Is he here?”

“Yeah, yeah come on in.”

Pete led Ben to the door of Andy’s room and knocked.

He heard Joe say ‘come in’ so he slowly stepped inside, staying close to the door, “Trick, Ben is here.”

Ben stayed in the doorway, smiling to himself at the way his baby brother was surrounded by his friends, happy. He realized that he would do anything to make sure Patrick got the opportunity to live in a place like this. Even if he had to go against his own mother to do so.

“Ben, everything okay?” Patrick sat up a bit but didn’t get up from the bed.

“Yeah, I just, I wanted to tell you that we’ll be leaving in a few days.”

“Oh. Is mom still angry?”

“Yeah. She still talks about you going to Chicago, and getting you chipped. I haven’t told her that we’re leaving yet. I want to keep her agitation to a minimum.”

“I understand. Do you think it would be worth trying to talk to her. I don’t want to upset her either, but I do want to say goodbye before you guys leave.”

“We would never leave without saying goodbye. If you want to try and talk to her you’ll have me and Kev’s support. Pete’s and everyone else’s too I assume.”

Pete nodded, looking at Patrick for some kind of sign.

“I’d like to think about it some more. I don’t know what I would actually say.”

“That’s fine.”

“You wanna stay for dinner? Andy is gonna bring home some pizzas.” Pete offered.

“Yeah thanks.”

“You can invite Kevin over too if you want.”

“I’ll ask him. It’s good to see you guys again by the way.” He said turning to Gerard and Brendon. “We didn’t get to see each other much at the concert.”

“Good to see you too.” Gerard answered.

Then three omegas shared a look, a mischievous look they hadn’t used except for special occasions.

Within the time it took for Ben to turn away from the door they were across the room, jumping on the alpha. When they were kids Patrick, Gerard and Brendon would jump and climb all over Ben like their own personal jungle gym. That’s what big brothers are for right?

Ben just laughed and let them try and wrestle him to the floor. 

Joe watched from the doorway with Pete, “He really is gonna be okay.” 

“I think so too.” Pete replied, pulling Joe into his side. He instantly felt the calm radiating from the omega. It had been awhile since the two of them spent some quality time.

Joe felt it too, he hadn’t noticed it until his instincts made him push further against Pete. He missed him. He hadn’t been far away at all but not having him as close and cuddly as usual was enough that he noticed the impact when it returned.

Pete’s instincts reacted too, because he pulled Joe into the room and sat down on the bed. Joe straddled his lap and wrapped his arms around Pete’s neck.

To an outsider this might look sexual, but for them it was just platonic. They had spent a while scenting each other, listening to the sounds of the others laughing and wrestling in the living room.

Ben was currently laying on the floor, Patrick, Gerard and Brendon piled on top of him. 

Brendon was pushing his fingers through the alpha’s hair, putting it up into spikes, “You look much better like this, so professional.”

“Probably look more like a 90s boyband singer.” Ben deadpanned through a smile.

“It’s missing something,” Patrick said, completely ignoring his brother’s response and moving his hands to his face, “Maybe something like this?” Patrick squished Ben’s face in different directions.

Gerard pulled on the alpha’s ears so they were sticking out flat, “Perfect.”

Ben laughed, or as much as he could with the way they were distorting his face. He was underneath all of them, his arms laid out above his head. If he wanted to he could’ve easily gotten up and pinned them all down but, he didn’t want to. For this moment, he was reliving a time or times from their childhood when they were actually happy. 

He didn’t want to miss a moment of this, so he let them squish and pull, poke and squeeze at him all they wanted. It didn’t hurt anyway, he knew they weren’t trying to either. Just being the pesky little brothers that they used to be.

 

At some point Josh, Tyler and Frank had returned to the living room, watching as the omegas laughed and played like children. Kevin had come over, joining in on the lovable torture of his big brother. Pete and Joe hadn’t come out yet, they stayed in the bedroom cuddling until Andy got home with the food.

Joe was walking past Kevin when the alpha said, “You smell like Pete.”

“Yeah we were scenting.” Joe didn’t understand the confusion.

“Yeah but, is Andy okay with his mate smelling like another alpha?” Kevin hadn’t asked in a mean or accusing way, he genuinely sounded curious and confused.

Joe knew that Andy didn’t care. He never had before. Pete had scented him plenty of times, sometimes in front of or right next to Andy himself. They never argued about it, Andy never told Pete to stop, never told Joe to stay away from the other alpha.

But something in him made him question whether or not Andy just didn’t want to be controlling. What if it did bother Andy and he just wasn’t saying anything? Joe didn’t usually get insecure about things, especially his relationship with Andy. But something about this made his inner omega want to submit and apologize despite his own mind knowing better.

 

“Dinner!” Andy called as he laid the dinner on the table.

Everyone filed in and grabbed a plate.

Joe walked up to Andy and kissed him, surprising the alpha and smirking when he felt him lean into him more.

Andy could smell Pete’s scent all over Joe and was relieved that they had finally calmed down. He knew things had gotten pretty different since Patrick had come along, not in a bad way. Just in a way that changed some things they hadn’t normally thought about. 

Pete and Joe used to cuddle a lot more than they had lately. Andy noticed about two weeks ago but didn’t want to be the one to push things. It would need to happen naturally. 

He’s thankful that they had figured it out.

“You and Pete are back to normal hmm?”

“Yeah. It just kinda happened. Are you mad?”

Now Andy was confused, “Mad?”

“That I smell like Pete?”

Andy wasn’t sure if he even heard his mate right, “Joe, you know I don’t mind that. I’m happy that you and Pete are close. I would never be mad about his scent on you. It’s actually comforting to me.”

“Even though I have another alpha’s scent on me that isn’t you? How would that be comforting?”

Andy smiled, “As long as it is only mine or Pete’s scent on you, I don’t care. Anybody else who ever tries it and I might have to track them down and rip their heads off. But Pete, his scent is part of the pack. It isn’t a threat to me, it’s a comfort. It means that you’re double protected from other alphas. Just like if my scent got on Patrick. Would you care?”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way. No, I wouldn’t care. I think having your scent on Patrick makes him more like a part of the pack.”

“Good. Then don’t worry about it.” Andy kissed his forehead, “Time to eat.”

 

After dinner…

As everyone was laughing at Brendon telling a story, Patrick was looking around at everybody. He really was thankful for this. He was surrounded by his future mate, his friends new and old, and his brothers. They were all smiling and for a moment Patrick drew back into his own mind, present in the room but mentally he was busy trying to memorize this moment. He wanted to hold it in his mind forever. 

Just a few months ago this wasn’t even something he thought was possible. A few months ago, the people in this room either thought he was dead, missing or they hadn’t even met him yet. He was in pain and he thought he would die never having seen any of them again. He never thought he would be joining a pack, never ever imagined getting a mate. 

Let alone a mate that would be so caring and gentle. Now, now he was encircled by people who actually cared for him. He was happy. 

Patrick looked up and smiled getting pulled from his thoughts when he heard his name in whatever story was being told now. He leaned into Pete's side, humming when he felt the alpha kiss his neck.

The evening went by rather nicely. 

Everyone was calm and happy. 

The topic of conversation was light. 

Nobody argued. 

It was amazing.

It was so amazing that nobody noticed someone watching them from the fire escape window.


	48. Just One Yesterday

It was close to midnight when Ben and Kevin left.

Everyone made their ways to their respective sleeping areas. 

Patrick and Brendon were in the middle, squished between Gerard and Joe. It was only a few minutes of cuddling before all of them were falling asleep for the night.

Patrick and Brendon were asleep first, Gerard, stayed up a little longer, not really by choice, but the adrenaline of seeing his friends wasn’t quite as worn down as the others. 

Joe had stayed awake too. 

But for a different reason. 

He was craving Andy, a lot. He almost felt nauseous thinking about it. He didn’t quite know why though. 

His alpha was just in the room right next door to where he is, he could still smell his alpha’s scent on everything, it was their room after all. 

He reasoned that it must be his omega yearning for his alpha, but he had just been with him not ten minutes ago.

It didn’t make sense. He hadn’t felt this anxious in years. Not since he lived on the streets when he used his instinct to survive. 

But why would it flare up now? He had a great day. Almost perfect actually. So why did his omega instincts tell him he was in danger?

He stayed still, as still as he could, not wanting to disturb a sleeping Brendon next to him. 

Then he heard something. A thud? It wasn’t loud. If he hadn’t been hyper aware of his surroundings then he wouldn’t have even noticed it but survival instincts make you notice everything. It sounded like something dropped onto something metal. The only thing metal was the fire escape. That window was in the hall. He wanted to go look but he also didn’t want to move.

He sat up slightly, resting on his arms, that’s when he noticed Gerard sitting up as well. The other omega was watching him cautiously.

“You okay?” Gerard whispered.

“Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Gerard just sounded confused now. He hadn’t heard anything.

“Never mind.” Joe debated for a moment whether to go wake up Andy or Pete and tell them but, without Gerard hearing it too he wasn’t sure if he did hear something or if it was just his imagination.

Over a half hour went by, he hadn’t heard anything else, Gerard was asleep now. 

Joe was wide awake.

He couldn’t get relaxed enough to sleep.

He wanted to go get Andy. 

He also didn’t want to leave Patrick, Brendon or Gerard.

His instincts were torn in the middle.

Stay and protect or run and get help.

Help from what? He didn’t know. He just didn’t feel right.

Something was wrong.

 

 

Pete and Andy were still awake.

Both tired but, not tired enough to actually fall asleep. It was the kind of tired you ignore in the middle of the night to have deep conversations with your best friend.

They were leaning back against the wall, sitting on the air mattress, trying to figure out how Patrick and Pete should handle things. Their relationship, his mother, the pack, mating.

Andy was telling Pete about his conversation with Joe earlier.

“He thought I was gonna be mad at him.”

“Did he say why?”

“Just cuz your scent was on him.”

“That doesn’t sound like Joe.”

“I didn’t think so either. I mean what would make him question that at this point. It’s been years you guys have scented plenty of times.”

“Maybe the idea wasn’t his. Maybe someone said something and he got insecure.”

“Maybe.”

“Has it ever bothered you?”

“What you guys scenting?”

Pete nodded.

“God, now you sound like Joe. No it had never bothered me. And I’ll tell you just what I told him, as long as it is only mine or your scent on him, I don’t care. Anybody else is gonna get hurt. It isn’t a threat to me, it’s a comfort. It means that he’s double protected from other alphas.”

“That makes sense. By the way, if it ever did bother you all you would have to do is say so and I’ll stop.”

“I know. I don’t want you to. I think everyone sharing scents makes the pack stronger.” Andy thought for a moment, deciding to ask Pete the same thing he asked Joe, “If my scent gets on Patrick do you care?”

Pete looked surprised, he actually hadn’t thought about that before, “No. I agree with you. If it were someone else I think it would bother me but, I trust—you know I trust you more than I trust myself.” Pete’s voice go softer at the end.

Andy gave him a knowing look and ruffled the other alpha’s hair. Pete had struggled with things in the past, things only Andy knew about. Things only Andy could save him from. 

Even if those things were inside his own head.

 

Slowly, Joe climbed out of bed and went to the door, cracking it open just a bit to peek out. 

He sniffed the air experimentally. He could smell something. Something that was not there to be noticed. Scent blockers? Nobody in the apartment used them as far as he knew. It wasn’t strong enough to actually be in the apartment though.

He could see the window to the fire escape at the other end of the hall where it connected to the living room. The window was open, but the screen was still shut. Just like they left it. The scent could’ve wafted in from outside.

He was only a few feet from the door to where Andy and Pete were. He heard hushed voices coming from the room, so they must be awake. That gave him a bit of comfort, maybe it was just them making the noise.

He pressed his back against the wall in the hallway and slide sideways until he reached the door. Down the hall he could see Frank’s leg hanging over the end of the couch. The noise must not have been him.

 

He didn’t want to knock and wake up anybody else so he just slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Pete heard the door opening next to him so he stopped talking and looked over to see a panicked Joe clutching the knob with white knuckles.

Andy was up in an instant, as soon as he touched Joe’s arm, the omega wrapped his arms around the alpha’s stomach in a death grip. As if holding onto his alpha was the only thing that mattered anymore.

Andy pulled Joe into the room and closed the door, not wanting to wake up any more house guests.

“Baby what is it?”

Joe was shaking, squeezing Andy’s torso and mumbling under his breath.

“Joe baby I can’t understand you. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened.”

Joe did, for a few moments, with his face pushed as far into Andy’s chest as he could, was taking deep breaths. Eventually he got calmed down enough to talk again.

“I just, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I just didn’t feel safe and I heard a noise and there was a strange smell and I just needed you close to me but I was afraid to leave the other guys cause I want them to be safe so I waited a bit but now I can’t calm down.”

“Pete go.” Andy ordered not looking away from his omega.

Pete didn’t say anything, just nodded and hurried out of the room into the one Joe had just left.

When he got in, he didn’t see anything out of place. It looked just as it did earlier save for Joe’s empty spot on the bed.

He looked around, trying to figure out what it was that could’ve made Joe feel so scared but he didn’t find anything.

Gerard had sat up slightly when he heard Pete moving around.

“What now?”

Pete walked over and stood next to him, “Are you okay Gee?”

“I’m fine. You here cuz of Joe?”

“How do you know that?”

“He said he heard something earlier, wouldn’t relax. I don’t think he slept at all. Where is he?”

“He’s with Andy. What did he hear?”

“Not sure. He didn’t say.”

“Alright. Get some sleep.” Pete moved to sit in a chair in the corner of the room. Not wanting to make Brendon uncomfortable by having an alpha that wasn’t his sleep next to him.

“Here,” Gerard noticed the alpha’s dilemma and walked around the bed to lay down next to Brendon so Pete could take his place next to Patrick. 

“Thanks.” Pete laid down and put an arm around his boyfriend. “And Gee, if you hear anything, wake me up. Okay?”

“Kay.”

 

The rest of the night was uneventful. Joe eventually gave into his exhaustion, falling asleep only when Andy practically covered his body with his own. Andy had spent the majority of the time awake scenting and marking Joe with the intention of using his alpha pheromones to calm his omega. 

Usually it didn’t take this long. Usually Joe wasn’t this scared.

Andy fell asleep awhile after Joe, wanting to make sure Joe was really asleep before letting himself relax the rest of the way. He was supporting his weight on his arm as much as he could so he didn’t put it all on Joe. The omega was laying mostly under him, arms hugging his chest and face tucked under Andy’s chin.

If it were any other night he wouldn’t question it, Joe liked to cuddle and sometimes was this clingy but he hadn’t come here in a happy mindset. He was scared of something. So Andy would do anything he had to do if it meant making his mate feel safe.

 

The next morning Patrick had woken up first, he tried to sit up but he felt the arm around him tighten. At first he assumed it was Gerard messing with him but when he looked down at the arm he realized it wasn’t Gerard but instead it was Pete. When the hell did he get here? Not that he was complaining. But still, last night Pete wasn’t in here.

He looked over his shoulder and saw a sleeping Pete. Instead of getting up, he relaxed back into the alpha’s embrace. Pete looked too comfortable to wake up just yet. He could wait a while longer if it made Pete get some rest.

He saw Gerard pop his head up from over Brendon’s shoulder, “Morning Tricky.”

“Morning. When did you move over there?”

“Last night. Joe heard something that freaked him out so he went to stay with Andy and Pete came in here.”

“Is Joe okay?” Patrick started to panic. It wasn’t like Joe to get scared. Joe always seemed so calm and carefree.

“I’m not sure. Pete just said he was with Andy.”

Patrick nodded, at least that meant Joe was safe. But what the hell could he have heard? He didn’t remember hearing anything himself. Must’ve been after he fell asleep.

“I’m gonna go see Frank.” Gerard left the room, leaving Patrick to retreat to his thoughts again.

 

It wasn’t long before Pete and Brendon woke up too. Pete immediately excused himself to go check on Andy and Joe. When he peeked into the room, he saw they were still sleeping so he left as quietly as he could. There was no way they got as much sleep as they should’ve last night. Pete would make sure they weren’t bothered for as long as possible.

He would wait and maybe later ask Joe about the noise. 

It was still early. Earlier than usual anyway. So far Pete, Patrick and Brendon were the only ones actually up. 

Gerard had crawled on top of Frank and resumed sleeping. The alpha not even waking up.

Brendon had gone to shower, leaving Pete and Patrick alone in the kitchen.

Pete took full opportunity of their privacy to pull the omega in for a kiss. Long overdue in his opinion. Patrick melted into it immediately, opening his mouth a bit for Pete to deepen it. Something Patrick seemed to like better when Pete was the one leading. 

The kiss hadn’t been rushed, or rough. It was as calm as the morning could be. But Patrick still felt a bit of Pete’s emotions radiating from him, despite the alpha’s efforts to suppress them.

“What is it?” Patrick finally asked when they pulled back.

“I want you to be safe. I’m not sure what Joe heard last night but it was enough to really freak him out. Noises don’t normally bother him, so his instincts must’ve picked up on something else. His survival instincts are better than even some alphas.”

“He didn’t say anything.”

“Gee said you were already asleep.”

“I take it that means more protection is required?”

“Probably. We don’t know what it was yet. Nobody is going anywhere alone. It’s good that there’s so many alphas in here. It means more protection for everyone.”

Patrick didn’t know what to say. He didn’t feel unsafe. He actually felt very content here. But he trusted Pete. And he trusted his decisions. “Okay. Is there anything I should do? Or can do to help?”

Pete smiled at his boyfriend, “Not really, just tell me or Andy immediately if you hear or see anything strange. We wont be going anywhere for awhile so you’ll probably be in the apartment unless we all go somewhere. For tonight though, everyone may have to change sleeping arrangements.” 

Letting the omegas have a room to themselves is totally fine as long as their safe. And until they guarantee that safety they wouldn’t be taking any chances. All the omegas would need to sleep with their alpha(s).

“Sounds reasonable. But I get dibs on sleeping with you.” Patrick said with as straight of a face as possible.

“Haha, that can be arranged. Course Joe and Andy are probably gonna be with us too. Tyler, Josh and Brendon will take our room and Gerard and Frank will be in the studio.”

“Alright.” Patrick was quiet for a moment. “What do you think Joe heard?” 

“I’m not sure. I didn’t get to talk to him yet. I left to go check on you guys as soon as he got to our room.”

 

It was a quiet morning, Pete and Josh made breakfast as everyone else watched Brendon and Tyler battle it out in Mario Kart. Joe and Andy had yet to come out of the room.

When breakfast was done Pete fixed two plates and went to their door. Stopping outside to knock with his foot.

Andy opened the door, blocking the view into the room at first until he noticed it was Pete. “Come in.” He looked exhausted. Almost as much as Joe. The omega’s eyes had dark circles under them and they were red rimmed.

“I was just checking in and bringing you guys some fuel. Everything alright?” He asked more to Andy. Joe didn’t seem like he was in the mood to talk.

“Thanks.” Andy said taking a plate from Pete and handing it to Joe. The omega took it reluctantly but started eating when he saw his alpha raise his eyebrow at him.

Turning back to Pete, Andy took his own plate and sat next to Joe, “Uhh…we think the noise Joe heard came from the fire escape. He also said that he smelled scent blockers coming from that direction.”

“I’ll go take a look.” Pete offered.

Andy nodded, “Be careful. Lock it up when you’re done.”

“You got it. Need anything else?”

“Let everyone know what happened.”

“Consider it done. I’ll let everyone know to change their sleeping arrangements too.”

“Good.” Andy nodded in approval as he continued eating.

 

Pete went out onto the fire escape. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, the cushions and blankets from Joe and the others still laid out as usual. 

There was a faint smell of scent blockers lingering on the cushions though. Meaning somebody had sprayed themselves with the blocker spray just before they climbed up here. Scent blocker spray was usually undetectable if you hadn't smelled it before. Pete had smelled it plenty through volunteering.

Pete looked around for any more clues but found nothing. So he turned and crawled back through the window, shutting and latching it when he got in.

 

Pete was cleaning up the dishes when Andy and Joe made their way into the room. Andy handed Pete their empty plates, “Find anything?”

“I did smell scent blocker’s out there. But no sign of anything else.”

“I’ve got work in about an hour, are you good to keep an eye on him?” He asked tilting his head towards Joe.

The omega whined and clung to Andy’s arm tighter. “Please don’t go. Call in sick. What if something happens?”

“Nothing is gonna happen and if anything does then Pete can handle it. And Tyler, Josh and Frank are all here too.”

“I don’t want to be away from you.”

“Neither do I sweetheart. But you’ve stayed with Pete plenty of times. I wouldn’t be going anywhere if I thought you were in danger. You’ll be perfectly safe here with Pete. He won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I know but I still don’t want you to go. What if something happens to you?”

“I’m only going in to cover a four-hour shirt. I’ll be home by two o’clock. Long before it even starts to get dark out.”

“Why can’t I go with you?”

Andy looked into Joe’s eyes, he knew his omega was scared. He really didn’t want to leave him but he wanted to make Joe feel safe. 

Andy would be alone at the store today. Normally there was someone else on the same shift, usually Mrs. Redding the owner or another beta that would stay close to Joe if he were with a customer. Today was Saturday, usually their busiest day of the week which meant Joe normally spent a lot of time kneeling behind the register next to Andy’s legs. 

If he took him to work Joe might be more nervous than he would be if he left him home. Especially if he had to leave Joe’s side to help a customer. 

But at home Pete would be there, and everyone else that he trusted. If he took Joe to work, he would probably have to get Pete or one of the others to come too to keep an eye on the omega while he was with customers. If everybody came he wouldn’t have to worry much at all.

Of course, if everybody came then nobody would be in the apartment. What if someone, whoever made the noise last night came into the apartment?

“Pete?” Andy turned to his friend, hoping his second in command would have some kind of advice or assistance to offer that would help him make a decision. 

Pete seemed to know the issue without Andy having said any of it out loud. 

“Frank and Gerard are spending the day here, probably ruining a set of sheets. Tyler and Brendon are staying in too but Josh mentioned that he wanted to go down and look at a new kit. If you want me and Patrick to go with you or to stay here, we will. And if you want Joe to stay with us I won’t leave his side. Here or at the store. So whatever you feel most comfortable with.”

Joe looked hopeful, a gleam of light had reentered his eyes that had been missing since last night.

Sighing Andy gave in, “Alright, do NOT leave his side.”

“Promise.”


	49. Frens

Almost an hour later, Andy, Joe, Pete, Patrick and Josh were walking down the sidewalk towards the store. Joe was holding on tightly to Andy’s arm, staring at his shoes as he walked.

Once inside, Pete, Joe and Patrick walked behind the counter, it was already somewhat crowded, and it was before 10am. Josh went straight to the drums. Andy walked back to the office to clock in. The last shift person making her way out the door. 

For a little while everything was a bit chaotic, Andy went from one customer to another assisting in anyway he could. Pete, Joe and Patrick had stayed behind the register watching Josh move from one kit to the next. 

Joe went through the checkout process with the betas and omegas who were ready to pay but any time an alpha came to the register he stepped back or dropped to his knees and let Pete handle it.

Patrick had taken a seat on the floor under the counter in front of Pete. He was reading a stack of old magazines, or trying to, he had the perfect view of Pete’s crotch. Directly at eye level. He couldn’t help but stare a few times. Wondering if sex with Pete would really be as great as he hoped it would be someday.

They had been there for an hour and a half and it was finally getting a little slower, probably due to it being close to lunch time, but there was still a bigger crowd than a normal day.

A couple of bigger guys came in, definitely alphas, they glared at Joe as they walked past the register. Pete glared back, suppressing a growl. 

Not this again, he didn’t want Andy or Joe to get in trouble for his behavior, but he also wasn’t about to let Joe be disrespected.

Pete put a comforting arm around the omega’s shoulders, and for a few moments everything was fine, but then the guys came back over.

Before Joe could kneel one guy said, “Shouldn’t that thing be chained up outside or something? He ain’t even wearing a collar.”

Pete stood up and pushed Joe behind him, “Can I help you with something?” No use arguing with people like this, they wouldn’t listen anyway.

“You can do your job as an alpha and put that dirty omega slut in his place! He’s still standing up and he is in the presence of alphas. He should be punished! Letting those things behave like that is just encouraging their behavior!”

“What we do with our omegas is none of your business. Now can I help you? Because if not, I suggest you both leave.”

The guys stepped closer, so Pete stepped around the counter and braced himself for a fight. Josh coming to his side when he saw what was happening.

“You would actually fight for some dirty little omega? If you won’t put it in its place, then maybe we should.”

“Leave. Now.” Pete was trying desperately hard to control himself. In his mind he had already murdered these guys a hundred different ways.

They were gathering a bit of a crowd now. Mostly other alphas, waiting to see what would happen while betas or omegas tried to back away from the fight, watching Joe with interest or pity or confusion.

“Fine.” One guy slowly turned towards the door but Pete didn’t fall for it.

The guy spun back around quickly, fist closed, aiming for Pete’s face. 

He caught the man’s wrist and twisted it. Not enough to break anything, just enough to cause some pain before pushing him away. “You’ve made a big mistake.”

At this point Pete was no longer concerned with being polite. If these guys wanted a fight they would get one. There was no way he was gonna let them hurt Joe or Patrick.

“AHHH!” The other guy yelled and charged towards at Pete too, but Josh swung first. 

Josh’s fist connected with the guy’s nose. Then his jaw. Then his eye. Then his stomach.

Blood started pouring out of his face but he wasn’t deterred for long. It just seemed to make him angrier. 

The guy was big but he was not much of a fighter, especially compared to Josh. 

The first guy lunged at Pete again, he caught his arm and knocked him off balance. They wrestled for a moment, Pete threw a few punches at the guy where he could, the guy got a hit on his face but it was unorganized with no real power behind it. 

Using his weight against him, Pete pulled his arms one way and kicked his legs out from under him in the opposite direction. The guy hit the floor like a ton of bricks. Groaning and rolling onto his side.

Josh had gotten the other one in a sleeper hold, his face still bloody, was now changing colors as he lost consciousness.

Pete took this moment to turn and check on Joe. There were quite a few people circled around them and he didn’t want to let any of them get a chance to hurt the omega either.

Joe looked fine. Well, physically, anyway. But Pete could see in his eyes and feel the fear through their pack bond. 

“Watch out!” Joe shouted at him, he turned just in time to see the guy’s fist about to collide with his face.

He flinched back but no pain came. He didn’t feel anything. 

Looking up he saw that the punch was stopped.

 

Andy was in front of him now. 

He was twisting the guy’s hand backwards and making him fall to his knees in pain.

 

He had been in the back of the store getting a case for a customer when he heard someone scream. He ran out the front only to see a crowd surrounding the front of the store. The part of the store where Pete, Joe and Patrick were hanging out. 

His stomach had dropped as he tried to push through the crowd. 

When he got to the center he saw Pete throw a guy to the ground and Josh was standing over another one that was unconscious on the floor. 

Behind them Joe was still at the register. He looked safe, unharmed. No doubt thanks to Pete and Josh. He saw Patrick peeking over the counter and sighed again. Okay, they’re safe.

The relief he felt that his pack was okay is indescribable. For a moment he thought it was over, but then he saw the guy get up when Pete wasn’t looking and move towards him.

Instinct took over and he jumped in front of Pete grabbing the guy’s wrist.

 

The guy had a hand on Andy’s, trying to pry it off as he shouted profanity about omega lovers.

Andy just twisted harder, “Enough.” Andy’s voice was changing, his alpha surfacing.

“Let me go fucker!” Some tough alpha, he was begging now. Begging Andy to let him go.

Andy looked down at him and growled, a low, deep, alpha growl. 

It made Joe duck his head. It made the omegas and betas in the crowd whine and back off, some of them also tilting their head slightly, offering their necks in submission. 

Alphas in the crowd stepped back slightly with their omegas or betas, not wanting to show signs of a threat, but also not wanting to miss anything. 

Pete and Josh on the other hand, well, they smiled. Not challenging Andy in any way, but they knew it wasn’t their submission he was after.

Pete was proud of his brother for this. ‘What a fucking badass’ he thought.

The guy tried to fight it at first, but then gave in, offering his neck in submission. Andy reached out with his other hand and grabbed the guys neck harshly. Pulling up and back, dragging him out of the building. 

“You come back here again and you die.” Andy growled, still using his alpha voice. He gave him one last shove, watching in satisfaction as he ran.

Andy walked back into the store, all the eyes of the bystanders followed his every move. He ignored them in favor of walking up to Pete and Josh.

“You two okay?” Andy’s voice was soft now. Soft and gentle like it normally is.

They both nodded. Josh’s hand was bleeding where he broke his knuckles open, Pete had a slight bruise forming on his cheek. 

“Take this one outside,” Andy said gesturing to the one Josh put to sleep, “Then go get cleaned up in the back. I’ll stay with Joe and Patrick.”

 

Josh and Pete were in the breakroom, Pete was using a first aid kit to clean up Josh’s hand.

“Thanks by the way. You didn’t have to do that. You could’ve seriously hurt your hand. Then you wouldn’t be able to drum then Tyler would kill me.”

“Hah, you don’t need to thank me. We’re family. You guys are more important. Besides, it doesn’t hurt much.”

“Yeah, when did you learn to fight?”

“I’ve taken up boxing. It’s a good energy outlet when I’m not drumming.” 

“Ah. Still, thanks.”

“You would’ve done the same.”

Pete smiled, “Yeah. We are like a family.” Pete parroted Josh’s word. He and Andy had talked about asking their friends to join their pack but they didn’t want to pressure them or make things awkward.

Yet Josh seemed to already know what Pete was thinking.

“Ya know Tyler and I have talked about asking Andy and you if we could join the pack but we weren’t sure if it would be too much or not.” Josh was speaking softly, as if he was admitting some secret that wasn’t supposed to be said out loud.

“I think Andy would love that and I know I would. Besides, Patrick, Joe and Brendon wouldn’t need any convincing.”

“I know. We want it too, its just, the idea of having someone else be alpha, letting anybody else be in charge of Brendon is scary. Even though we know and trust Andy, its…its still hard.”

“Talk to Andy. He’ll make ya feel better.”

“I’ll ask Tyler again later. He’s the one that needs the reassurance about Brendon more.”

“Alright. Anytime you’re ready to talk just let us know.”

“What about Gerard and Frank?”

“Frank has the same dilemma. It’s understandable. I would have a hard time trusting anyone with Patrick. If I didn’t know Andy so well, we wouldn’t be a pack.”

“Do me a favor and talk to Andy for me? Just want to make sure the option is still open.”

Pete finished wrapping Josh’s hand, “It will always be open.”

 

When they got home, Josh went to talk to Tyler, to ask him about joining Andy’s pack again but also to tell him about what happened at the store before he finds out some other way.

Joe and Patrick sat down on the couch next to Brendon and Pete pulled Andy into the kitchen. He better do this now while he’s got the alpha to himself.

Andy looked at him strangely for a moment, trying to figure out his friends urgency.

“How do you feel about the other guys joining our pack?”

Andy looked surprised for only a moment, they had talked about this before but that was a long time ago. “I’m still open to it. If they’re interested then great but I don’t want this to interfere with our friendship with them. Especially now that Patrick, Gerard and Brendon are reunited.”

“Josh said that he and Tyler have talked about it before. That they’re interested they’re just worried about letting another alpha have control over Brendon.”

“Same as Frank then.”

“Yeah. Josh asked me to ask you about it again. He wants to make sure the offer is still there.”

“Of course. It will be on the table for as long as they want.”

 

Josh found Tyler in a bedroom working on a new song idea by the look of concentration on his face. He hated to disrupt his thoughts, but this was important.

“Ty, I need to talk to you.”

“Sure,” Tyler glanced up, “What’s up—Josh what the fuck did you do to your hand?!?”

In an instant Tyler was standing in front of Josh holding his hand close to his face inspecting the bandage.

“There was a problem at the store and I got in a fight. I’m okay but I need to talk to you about something else.”

“Josh your hand is—”

“Is perfectly fine. Pete cleaned it up for me. I’ll fill you in on that later. Now we need to talk.”

Tyler didn’t look happy but nodded anyway taking a seat on the bed. “Alright, what is it?”

“How do you feel about the three of us joining Andy’s pack? I know it’s B that you’re worried about, but I truly don’t believe Andy would ever do anything to hurt him.”

“He is the only person I would consider allowing any control over our mate. And I do trust him. I just, what if something goes wrong or what if Brendon isn’t okay with it? What if—”

“We’ll talk to Bren. See how he feels before we say anything. We should talk to Andy though, find out what he expects out of pack mates first and then decide if we’re comfortable or not.”

“Alright. Alright, we can talk about it.”

“Good. I think, Pete was going to ask Frank and Gerard about it too.”

“He’ll have to wait awhile. They spent the afternoon screwing each other’s brains out now their doing it again in the shower.”

Josh grimaced, “Remind me to rinse the shower before taking one.”

“Let’s go talk to Andy. I think we should talk to him first so we don’t get Bren’s hopes up.”

 

“Can we talk to you?” Tyler asked when they found Andy and Pete in the kitchen.

“Course.”

“We talked about the pack thing. And uh…we just…we want to ask you some things before we decide.”

“Anything. Ask away.”

Tyler looked at Josh, he got a nod in return so he continued, “What are you expecting—I mean what would you want out of a pack member?”

Andy smiled gently, he could tell Tyler was anxious asking which meant it was probably Josh’s idea to ask in the first place.

“Family. I’m not looking to control you guys or Brendon for that matter. For me, a pack is people who look out for each other, give support and trust. Safety. Honestly, me and Pete’s relationship didn’t really change much when we became a pack. We were best friends, practically brothers before, and we still are. I know you’re worried about Bren. Just so you know, I would never ask you to let me make a decision about him. I wouldn’t want to give control of Joe to anyone either. Even though I’m pack alpha I wouldn’t ask or want you guys to give up control of him to anyone. Just like Pete has with Patrick, you still have final say over everything regarding Brendon.” 

Andy’s voice was soft, calm, yet so sure and confident that Josh was sure of his decision. He wanted to join Andy’s pack, he just needed to get Tyler on board.

Tyler hadn’t broken eye contact with Andy since he started talking. He knew Andy was telling the truth, but it still scared him. He knew he would always doubt his own decisions, that’s why he and Josh never formed their own pack. He wanted someone else to be in charge. Not of everything, but just enough to take some of the pressure off of him.

He trusted Josh though, and he trusted Josh’s decisions. Even though the bright haired alpha didn’t always feel comfortable making them, he had always given careful thought to every decision he made.

If Josh was comfortable joining Andy’s pack then he would give it a shot too. Now they just need to ask Brendon. Despite society’s rules regarding omegas not getting a choice when joining a pack he always made it a point to ask Brendon what he wanted instead of telling him.

 

Tyler found Brendon on the couch, “Me you and Josh need to talk.”

Brendon looked a bit nervous now, but his anxiety turned to confusion when he saw Josh appear with a smile on his face. “Good or bad talk?”

“Good.” Josh answered before Tyler could give some cryptic answer.

Brendon followed his alphas to Pete and Patrick’s room.

“Alright, Josh and I have er I mean we haven’t yet, that’s why we want your opinion before we make a solid decision.”

“Decision about what?”

“How would you feel about the three of us joining Andy’s pack?” Josh supplied, earning a wide eyed look from Tyler.

“Really?”

“Yeah? I mean is that—”

“YES! Fuck yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Josh chuckled, “So I take it you’re okay with this decision?”

“Are you kidding? Of course I want us to join.”

“Even thought Andy would be pack alpha and you would have to follow pack orders sometimes, I mean he said he would leave decisions about you to me and Ty but—”

“Andy is the most easy going dude on the planet. Of course I trust him.”

Josh smiled at the memory of Andy being a badass earlier at the store, it didn’t exactly fit with the term ‘easy going’. But it did somehow fit Andy.

“A-alright then.” Tyler was surprised at how easy Brendon accepted the news. But if both of his mates were a hundred percent in then had no reason to say no.

 

Pete had told Patrick and Joe about the others possibly joining their pack. It was probably better if he would’ve waited for a solid yes, but seeing the excitement on their faces was enough for him to decide it was worth it.

Asking Frank seemed to be a little more embarrassing, when he knocked on the door of the room they were staying in and heard him say ‘come in’ he hadn’t expected the alpha to be almost naked.

Frank was standing in the middle of the room with just a towel around his waist. Gerard was sleeping soundly in the bed, and Pete could tell that if it weren’t for the sheet tangled around the omega he would be totally exposed too.

Pete was trying to look everywhere except his naked friends. 

“C’mon man don’t act like you haven’t seen a dick before.”

“Dude, you’re one of my best friends, I don’t want to see YOUR dick. Why are you naked anyway?”

“Why do ya think?” Frank winked at him.

“Frank!”

“Relax, we had sex. Then we had sex in the shower. Then we took a shower. I just haven’t gotten dressed yet cuz I was taken care of Gee.”

“Alright well, I wanted to ask you something, but—”

“Ask.”

“Uhh, how do you feel about the two of you joining the pack. We talked to Tyler and Josh too.”

Frank was actually quiet for a moment. He looked from Pete down to Gerard’s sleeping form.

“As long as I get final say over him. That is my terms.”

“Those are the same terms Tyler and Josh asked for. It won’t be a problem. Andy doesn’t want to take away that power from you. If you don’t like it, you can both back out anytime you want, and we can just go back to being friends.”

“Let me talk it over with Gee before I decide. Though I think I know what he’ll choose.”

 

The news about the possibility of expanding the pack was enough to distract everyone for a while. 

Nobody seemed to focus on whatever happened last night. They were all still being cautious, nobody was allowed out on the fire escape unless an alpha went too. All the windows and the apartment door remained shut and locked at all times. 

Even with all of that, everyone was relaxed, celebrated and enjoyed their evening. Even Joe had calmed down exponentially. The events of today being an interference to his worrying.


	50. The Person That You'd Take A Bullet For Is Behind The Trigger

When it came time for bed Joe’s anxiety had found it’s way back. Only being deterred by the knowledge that both Andy and Pete would be sleeping with him.

That’s where he was now. He and Patrick were in the middle of the bed waiting for their alphas to lay down. Andy and Pete had been checking the locks.

Patrick noticed Joe’s nerves, “Can I do anything?”

Joe smiled, a genuine smile because Patrick could always make him smile. “Just having you here is enough. Though I would never turn down a cuddle.”

“Haha me neither.” Patrick threw an arm over Joe and snuggled closer.

This time it was Joe who hid his face in the other’s chest, the omega’s scent calming him.

Patrick ran his hand up and down his friends back, small hums turning into soft singing.

 

After a few moments he felt calmer waves of emotion coming from Joe. Patrick smiled to himself, happy that he was able to help his friend in some way.

 

“We've been down 

We've been out

We've been hanging 'round

Tip our glasses to no direction, yeah

Start the van

Get me out of this one horse town

Waste this night”

 

He didn’t notice Pete and Andy standing in the doorway behind him until he stopped singing.

“That was amazing.” Andy broke the silence.

“Its nothing. I just wanted to make Joe feel better.” Patrick blushed, he still didn’t know how to take a compliment.

“You are an amazing singer and an even better friend. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“He’s right Trick. You’re fuckin awesome.” Pete added as he climbed in bed behind him.

Patrick mumbled a small thanks because he didn’t want to be rude. He didn’t believe those things about himself, but they obviously did.

It didn’t take long for Joe and Patrick to fall asleep, squished together with their alphas pressed against their backs. Forming a protective sandwich.

Andy had been the last to fall asleep. Wanting to make sure Joe was getting his rest, after last night he really didn’t want to take any chances of something disturbing his mate.

 

The next morning Pete woke up to a knock at the door.

It was early. 

Way earlier than they ever normally got up. 

He begrudgingly pulled away from Patrick and stumbled towards the front door.

He had almost unlocked it when he remembered everything that had happened yesterday.

That was enough to wake him up a bit more and make him a lot more tense. 

 

He looked through the peephole, what he saw was only slightly surprising, but it made him relax.

Ben was standing on the other side of the door, looking like he was gonna be sick.

Pete opened the door and looked at him expectantly. People don’t just show up at ungodly hours of the morning for social visits.

“Pete, we need to talk.” Ben looked serious, concerned even.

“Come in. Everything okay?” Pete did not like the tone of Ben’s voice.

“No, not really. It’s about my mom.”

“Is she okay?” Pete was concerned, mainly for Patrick’s sake. The omega had been through enough already. 

“She’s not hurt. She just…uh…she did something really bad.”

Pete was curious. She seemed a bit out there but she had been through a lot losing her child the way she did.

“She sent the guys who attacked you yesterday.” Ben blurted out before Pete could ask.

Pete froze. He didn’t quite know how to respond to this. Ben didn’t seem like he was lying. And how would he know about the fight if it wasn’t true?

He shook his head, “…I need coffee.”

Ben followed Pete into the kitchen, “I’m really sorry Pete, if I had known I would’ve stopped her--"

“I know you would’ve.” Pete started the coffee maker. Turning to stare at Ben for a moment. “What…What the hell happened?”

“That night, when me and Kevin got back to the hotel she was just getting in too. Her scent was covered. I thought it was odd but she's been doing strange things for years.”

Pete raised his eyebrows at that, what are the chances?

“She said she just went for a walk, but it seemed like she was hiding something. She avoided us both all day yesterday, locked herself in her room. I questioned her and I…”, Ben looked down at his hands, tears forming in his eyes.

For a moment Pete thought Ben was gonna totally break down, “I used my alpha voice on her. I’ve never…I never wanted to do that…never thought i would...but she was acting so strange and…she said, ‘now he’ll see that it isn’t safe here.’ It freaked me out, I didn’t know what she meant and when I pressed for answers she...” Ben was exhausted. He let himself fall back into a chair and ran his hands down his face.

“We could smell some scent blockers here. Joe had mentioned something felt off…he was pretty freaked out.” 

Kevin nodded sadly, “She…she admitted to coming by here that night. Said she watched us all from the fire escape. 

Oh. Joe deserves a fuckin medal for his instincts.

“She wanted to see if you were actually treating Patrick the way everyone said that you were. And she sent those guys to convince Patrick that he needs to come back with her by making him feel scared…I don’t think she expected you or your friends to stand up to the guys.”

“Holy shit…” Pete was in shock, he knew that Patricia was suffering from emotional and mental trauma of losing her child and she didn’t approve of his and Patrick’s relationship, but he never thought she would ever have done this.

“I know what she did was wrong, and I won’t blame you for holding it against her but, you have to know, she wasn’t always like this. Losing Patrick really messed her up. For a while she was just kinda numb, going through the motions. I thought seeing Patrick again would’ve cured her but I think seeing him again made her mind slip into some kind of panic of losing him again.”

“Do you think she’s dangerous for Patrick?” Pete was really only concerned for his boyfriend and packs safety at this point.

“Maybe. And look, I know it isn’t an excuse and I’m not asking you to ever forgive her but please don’t keep Patrick from seeing her. That’s what she’s worried about now. I told her I was coming to talk to you and she thinks that if you know the truth you might keep him from ever seeing her again.”

“I won’t ever keep them from seeing each other. Not unless Patrick asks me to or she tries to hurt him. I would never tell him who he can see or talk to. But I don’t want her alone with him. I don’t trust her enough to allow that.”

“I know. We’re not letting her be alone anymore either.”

“Good. At least she won’t be able to plan anything else. Did you want to tell Patrick or should I?”

“I will. I’d like to apologize to Andy, Joe and Josh as well if it’s alright.”

“Of course. Knowing the truth will probably make them feel better.”

“I really am sorry about this.”

“I know. I don’t blame you for any of it though.”

Pete was telling the truth, he didn’t hold anything against Ben. If anything he actually felt bad for the other alpha. He had dealt with way more than he should have to. He didn’t need his mother making things more difficult.

Now, Patrick’s mother, she may not be entirely present in her ability to make logical decisions but sending some aggressive assholes to attack your son’s boyfriend is excessive. If she was willing to do something as crazy as this, she might do something to Patrick too.

“They’re still asleep. I’ll go get Patrick, we can fill Joe in later. He needs his rest.”

Pete made his way back to the bedroom, he hesitated for a moment, Patrick looked so peaceful, so comfortable and calm curled around Joe. Waking him up seems like a horrible idea, but he has to know. He just hopes he doesn’t accidentally wake up Joe in the process.

Pete gently shook Patrick’s shoulder, leaning over him to kiss his face, “Trick, baby, I need you to wake up.”

A few more moments of silence and Pete was ready to give up but then he saw Patrick start to stir.

The omega looked over his shoulder at the alpha, “Petey? What time is it?”

“Still early. But Ben is here. He has some information about your mom that I think you should hear.”

Patrick was still for a moment. Eyes scanning the alpha’s face for some kind of clue, but all he found was a concerned gaze.

“Alright.” Patrick carefully untangled himself from Joe, gently nudging him to turn over towards Andy.

 

“Hey, I really need to talk to you.” Ben said as they walked back into the living room. 

Pete moved to sit beside Patrick, looping an arm around his back and pulling him against his side.

“What’s up?” Patrick asked, though by the look on Ben’s face he wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

Ben took a deep breath and repeated his information to his brother.

Patrick had been eerily quiet through it all.

He couldn’t believe it. He knew she was struggling but never thought she would’ve resorted to this. What if she did something else and one of his friends got hurt even worse. He couldn’t let that happen.

Maybe…maybe if he went with her than she would leave them alone.

 

He turned to Pete, “I’m so sorry, this is all my fault. If I had just agreed to go with her then maybe—”

“No, no no hey look at me Trick.” Pete was panicking now, he definitely did not blame Patrick, he couldn’t. The idea of losing him was terrifying. “Don’t say that. Okay? You had no idea that she would do anything like that. It isn’t your fault. She isn’t stable. Going with her could’ve hurt you both.”

Patrick only calmed a little. 

He didn’t want to leave Pete. Or his new pack-to -be. He was happy here. Genuinely happy. He doubted if he could be this way with his mother in Chicago. He loved her sure. But they had very different ideas about how he is going to live his life. It was clear that he had more freedom with Pete as his owner rather than his mother.

“I don’t want to go with her. I don’t want to lose you.” Patrick looked up at Pete, tears had begun forming in his eyes.

Pete's heart felt like it weighed a ton, he pulled the omega against his chest, “That will never happen. I promise.” He kissed the top of his boyfriend’s head and tried to push out some calming scents.

It took a bit longer than normal for Patrick to calm down again, “What do I do? If I don’t do what she wants, she’ll hurt you guys again and if I do give into her, then I lose control of my life again. I don’t want you guys to be hurt because of me.”

“This wasn’t because of you. This is because mom is not healthy. Pete was right, she is unstable. We’re taking precautions, we’re not leaving her alone, we’re never leaving you alone with her.” Ben said assuredly, he didn’t want his brother to feel guilty. 

He definitely didn’t want his brother going with their mother. 

He knew he would miss seeing him when they went back to Chicago, but Patrick was better off here. He was safe, healthy, happy, and free with Pete. He didn’t want him to lose that.

“You think she would hurt me?” Patrick was doubtful that she would actually hurt him, at least that’s how he used to think. Now he wasn’t so sure.

“We don’t know. But we are not willing to take any chances.”

Patrick was quiet for a moment. He needed to fix this. He couldn’t risk something else happening like what had happened in the store.

“I need to talk to her.” Patrick finally said. His voice unsure and timid. So different from what it has been. Pete was not happy about that.

Pete just hoped this wasn’t a permanent set back, the omega had been doing so well.

The alphas hesitated for a moment. Ben looked at Pete, waiting to see how he would handle it, he just looked at Patrick for a moment and stiffly nodded. 

He didn’t want Patrick anywhere near someone like that. Someone that put the pack in danger was not someone he wanted his boyfriend associating with but he also didn’t want to come between Patrick and his mother. If this was something he needed to do then he would give his support.

“Alright. But you’re not doing it alone. We don’t know what she might do.” Pete said firmly, alpha thrum finding it’s way into his voice. 

This was the first time he had ever told Patrick what to do. 

It hadn’t been a direct order or command. He wasn’t anywhere near using a full alpha voice, he didn’t think he would ever do that to Patrick. But keeping him safe was priority number one. So if he had to assert the rule of not going alone he would.

“I’m okay with that.” Patrick hadn’t even flinched at Pete’s alpha voice showing itself. For the first time ever he hadn’t felt threatened or scared when an alpha voice was directed at him.

“Anywhere, anytime you decide is fine. Just as long as you know that your brothers and I are going to be there the entire time.” Pete was adamant that this was how things were going down.

Patrick smiled at his boyfriend’s protectiveness. He knew Pete wanted to keep him safe, knew the alpha would do anything to accomplish keeping him safe. 

His inner omega was shouting at him to mate, the intensity of feeling protected by his alpha a total turn on, but his mind knew better. He knew he wasn’t truly ready for that yet. 

But damn Pete made it hard to resist giving into his instincts.

“Of course. I wouldn’t want to do it without you.” Patrick answered genuinely, hoping to make his alpha happy.  
Pete seemed satisfied with his answer because he smiled lightly and nodded, giving him another squeeze before looking back over at Ben.

“Alright,” Ben sighed, he wasn’t sure about letting Patrick anywhere near their mother, “When do you want to do it?”

“Today. And I don’t know where. I just…I wanna do this as soon as possible. I don’t want her to get any more time to plan anything else.” 

Patrick was scared to talk to her, his reunion with his mother hadn’t been exactly what he imagined, and she was definitely changed from how she was before. He knew he was too, but it’s like she was a totally different person. 

She didn’t use to make him this nervous, but he had to clear things up once and for all. He didn’t want his mom hurting Pete or Andy or Joe, or anyone else for that matter. He’d have to apologize to Joe at some point. And Josh. This was really getting out of hand.

Pete nodded, “Okay, I need to tell Andy before we go.” 

“Do you think he’ll be mad at me?” Patrick couldn’t imagine Andy being mad but it had been his mother that upset Joe. His mother that had sent those guys to the store.

“He is not going to blame you. If anything he’ll be worried about you going near her. But he would never be mad at you for something you didn’t do.” 

Pete was having flashbacks from when Patrick was in the hospital. Back then the omega had been so unsure and scared, so afraid of making people angry. It was heartbreaking to see him like this again.

 

Pete walked quietly into the bedroom, not wanting to disturb Joe, he squeezed Andy’s shoulder and shook it lightly, not enough to jostle Joe but enough that Andy should wake up, he was a light sleeper anyway.

Andy unconsciously tightened his arms around Joe before he opened his eyes to stare up at Pete, he was confused as to why Pete was awake so early, even more confused as to why he was waking him up too.

Pete didn’t say anything for a moment, trying to find the right words before spilling the story from Ben.

Andy narrowed his eyes at Pete, after he felt the other alpha’s emotions through their pack bond. 

Something was wrong.

“What happened?”

Of course Andy could see right through him, “Ben is here. It was Patricia that was out on the fire escape, and she sent the guys to the store to fight me.”

Andy raised his eyebrows at that, it was not what he had expected Pete to say. Not at all. He was relieved to know the truth but now he was worried about Patrick.

“We’re going over to the hotel, Patrick wants to talk to her.”

Andy sat up at this, “You sure about that, what if she tries something?”

“Me, Ben and Kevin will all be there. I’m not letting him be alone with her at all.”

“Good. Is he okay? How did he take it?”

Pete sighed and sat down next to his friend, “He blames himself. He thinks you’ll be mad at him for what happened.”

“I don’t blame him. Though I’m not surprised that he blames himself.”

“I can’t seem to convince him otherwise.” Pete’s voice had lost all traces of its alpha thrum.

Andy noticed the break in his friend’s voice and placed his hand on the side of Pete’s face to make him look at him, “He’ll come around. Just give him some time.”

 

 

It had been a mostly silent ride to the hotel. Ben had texted Kevin that they were coming, Patrick was sitting next to Pete staring at his lap. At some point he had started playing with Pete’s hand. 

The alpha didn’t say anything, it seemed to be calming for Patrick, and it made him feel calmer too, so he considered it a bonus. Besides, Pete had been occupied trying to figure out how to go about the impending conversation with Patricia. 

He knew he wouldn’t be leaving Patrick alone at any point, but should he stay at his side or would Patrick want some space? 

Should he confront her too, or keep his mouth shut?

He wasn’t particularly good at holding his tongue.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when the hotel came into view. They parked and for a moment, the three of them didn’t move or say anything. 

Pete had a thought that maybe Patrick had changed his mind, but the omega was the first one to open his door and step out of the car.

What they hadn't realized was that during the ride over, Patrick's fear and anxiety had turned to anger.

They followed Ben to the elevator in the lobby, Pete glared at every alpha that dared to look at Patrick. He was already feeling protective, he didn’t need a bunch of macho jackass alphas bothering his omega.

Once they got outside the room, they stopped again, Ben looking to Patrick for some kind of sign of backing out, but all he saw was an angry brother. 

He hadn’t seen Patrick this angry in a while.

Ben unlocked the door, letting Patrick and Pete walk in first.

Their mother was sitting in the corner staring out the window, seemingly in a daze again, but she looked over when she heard the door close.

Pete stayed close to his omega at first, watching, waiting for a sign that he needs to step in.

“Patrick, sweetheart, it’s good to finally see you again.” Her voice full of innocence but her eyes told a different story.

“How dare you?” Patrick asked, his voice dripping with venom that Pete didn’t know he had.

Patrick was pissed.


	51. Another Bad Poem

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Patrick’s voice was low, cold, he had actually never spoken to anyone like this before. But the anger he had built up inside was too much to stop now.

Pete and Ben took a step to the side, Patrick obviously needed space.

Kevin winced when he’d heard his baby brother swear. 

It just wasn’t something Patrick normally did. 

Especially in anger.

Patricia was quiet, but only for a moment. “You need to—”

“I don’t need to do anything you say. You’ve been so against my life here since you realized I wasn’t going back to Chicago.”

“That’s not true!” Patricia was on her feet now.

“It is! I am tired of being a fucking victim but you know what happened to me these past six years! And now, now that I am finally free from all of that and I’m happy and safe you want to take away my freedom!”

“I never said that! I just want you to be safe and the safest place for you is with me! I am your mother!”

“You sent some jacked up assholes to attack my boyfriend! YOU are my mother but you sure as hell haven’t acted like one lately! And I am way safer with Pete than I am with you!”

“Don’t be so overdramatic! He can’t protect you and keep you safe! He’s an alpha! One day he’ll be just like your father and the man that kept you locked up! He’ll hurt you!”

“Pete will never hurt me! He is one of the only people in my life that never has! You hurt me more in the past few weeks!”

Pete knew now wasn’t the time to feel prideful, but hearing Patrick stick up for him made something in his heart flip. He wanted to grab the omega and kiss him into smiling but this is something that Patrick needed to do.

“That’s a lie! He has you brainwashed! And don’t make the mistake of thinking that I’ll put up with this new attitude of yours when we get back—”

“I AM NOT GOING WITH YOU! I am staying here with Pete and he is never going to have me chipped. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Patrick was shaking, he felt like he was close to tears, but he refused to let them fall. He had to get this out. If he didn’t do it now he was afraid he would never get up the nerve again.

“I will sue him for ownership of you!”

“No court is going to grant a transfer of ownership from an alpha to a beta.” Ben said, he had took a small step forward, when Patricia stood up, just in case he needed to protect his brother.

“I’ll make them see the danger he is! With your past it won’t be hard to convince them to send you with me.”

“Why are you so against me being with Pete? Please tell me, I want to know! He hasn’t done anything to make you hate him this much! And any sane person could see that he isn’t hurting me. So what is it?”

“He is an ALPHA!”

Patrick still didn’t get it. I mean sure,some alphas were hard to trust but, she acted like she hated every alpha she met.

“What does that matter? Not all alphas are abusive! Not all alphas are like my father! Two of your sons are alphas!”

Patricia didn’t seem to be able to respond. She just looked at the floor in front of her as if she were waiting for a response to show itself.

When she didn’t say anything else Patrick took a moment to try and calm down a bit. “Mom, I know that you guys are going back to Chicago soon. I don’t want to part ways on bad terms. But if you don’t start backing off of Pete and telling me the truth then I won’t have a choice. I don’t need to be controlled anymore, and I don’t need to be told what is best for me. I know that this has been hard for you…having me back. But…it was never exactly easy for me either.”

 

Patricia looked up at him, for a moment Patrick was hopeful that this meant she was coming around to his side of things but then she said, “If you don’t want me to do it then Ben or Kevin will be your new owner.”

Patrick sighed, let his eyes slip closed as he threw his head back.

“I will not do that to him.” Kevin responded.

“Me neither. He belongs with Pete.” Ben was getting more and more agitated with his mother, his alpha thrum intertwining with his voice.

“He needs to be protected! You two don’t know how difficult it is being an omega! They are raped and abused all the time by alphas who think they know what’s best!”

“You aren’t an omega! You don’t know what it feels like! I do mother. I know exactly what it is like to be raped. And tortured and abused because I lived it for six years! I know exactly what a mean alpha is like.” Patrick was crying now. 

Angry tears slipping down his face. There is no way he was stopping now.

“Pete isn’t like that. He never did anything even remotely close to being hurtful! He’s the one that saved me!”

“For now! He’ll change! They all do!”

Patrick drug his hands over his face, he let out a incredulous laugh, “Are you literally insane?!? He hasn’t hit me, he hasn’t cut me, he hasn’t shocked me, or starved me. We haven’t even had sex yet! He is a good guy. I am sorry if you can’t see that, but I am staying with him.”

It wasn’t until he stopped yelling that he realized he had just told his family about him an Pete not having sex yet. 

He hadn’t intended to say that part out loud.

Kevin and Ben had raised eyebrows, Patricia had turned her back and walked over to the window again.

It had been silent for an excessively awkward length of time.

Ben turned to Pete, “Well, Pete, I think I have even more respect for you now.”

He was only half joking. He trusted Pete, but he also thought it was a bit early for Patrick to be doing that type of stuff.

“He won’t do anything unless I ask.” Patrick said softly, staring at his brother as if he were challenging him to argue.

“I believe you. I’m happy that you’ve found yourself a good guy.”

Patrick nodded and looked back at his mother, “Please don’t make things harder. You’re my mom and I love you. I want you to still be in my life, but not if you’re gonna be toxic. I can’t be comfortable around you if all you’re gonna do is send goons to attack my pack and argue with Pete about how to treat me. From the things that you’ve said today I would never want Pete to take your advice. I never want to be under that type of control again.”

Patricia hadn’t turned around. She hadn’t actually made any move to show that she was listening. She just continued to stare out the window.

Patrick was exhausted, he wiped at his face, brushing away tear streaks. He was done crying now. 

He really just wanted to go home.

Home with Pete. 

To the apartment with Andy and Joe and all their friends.

He was disappointed that he hadn’t been able to resolve things with his mother today. But she wasn’t even looking at him anymore.

He waited in silence another moment, sighing when it became clear that she wasn’t going to say anything else.

“Petey?” Patrick hadn’t turned around, he was still staring at his mother’s back.

Pete stepped forward when he heard his name, ready to do anything his boyfriend asked, “Trick?”

“Take me home.”

Pete nodded, and waited for Patrick to make the first move before putting his arm around the omega’s back and leading him out to the hall.

They stopped outside the door, Patrick looked back at his mother once more, then he looked into Pete’s eyes, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Pete hadn’t hesitated at all, he understood his boyfriend needed reassurance, he just hoped he could deliver.

 

 

When they got back to the apartment mostly everyone was in the living room. 

Patrick was holding tightly onto Pete’s arm, mostly hidden behind his shoulder. He wasn’t embarrassed per say, he was just feeling particularly shy and exposed right now.

Andy stopped playing with Joe’s hair and they both looked over at Pete.

Pete turned a bit to look over his shoulder, “Can I tell them?”

Patrick nodded, “Yeah but I think I’m gonna go lay down for a bit.”

“Kay.” Pete watched his boyfriend disappear into Andy and Joe’s room before he started talking.

He retold what happened in as much detail as he could.

Andy was tense, he hadn’t told Joe about Patrick’s mother being the one on the fire escape. He wanted to wait for Pete to get back before he said anything. It was a pack matter,and everyone should have a chance to be there. He heard Joe let out a sigh of relief and calmed down again.

As creeped out as he was by what happened it helped Joe’s anxiety knowing what had happened. He leaned back into Andy’s arms and closed his eyes. Now he could relax.

Tyler had pulled Brendon onto his lap, needing to feel his omega close to him. He didn’t like thinking about things like this. 

Josh had just nodded. He was upset with Patricia, but he wasn’t the type of person to hold a grudge. And he would never blame Patrick. 

Gerard got up first, walking over to the bedroom door, he softly knocked before walking in.

Patrick was curled up on his side with his eyes closed. 

Gerard knew enough to see that his friends breathing was not at a resting rate, he was anxious. 

Without saying a word, Gerard climbed into bed facing Patrick and got as close as he could before throwing an arm over his shaking frame.

Patrick didn’t open his eyes, he could tell it was Gerard by his scent.

For awhile that was all he focused on. 

Breathing in and out, letting his friends scent wash over him. An all-consuming brain blanket that made him feel safe and calm.

“Thanks Gee.”

“You don’t have to thank me. You and B done this for me plenty of times.”

True, when they were kids Gerard always had a hard time coping with his thoughts. Usually Patrick and Brendon would curl around him like this to make him remember that he was safe with them.

“I think my mom hates me.”

Neither of them had opened their eyes yet, but they didn’t need to.

“I don’t think she hates you. I think she still sees you as a twelve year old.”

“What if she tries to get Pete hurt again? I don’t want to be the reason that the pack is in danger.”

“What happened wasn’t your fault. Nobody blames you. And if she ever does it sounds like the guys can kick some serious ass, so I don’t think it would be too bad.”

“Still, they shouldn’t have to fight for me.”

Gerard opened his eyes now and moved his hand to grasp Patrick’s chin, “That is what a family does. They fight with each other sometimes, but they’ll fight anyone twice as hard for you.”

Patrick smiled, “When did you get so smart?”

Gerard fake scoffed, “I’ve always been a genius!”

 

“When do they go back to Chicago?” Andy asked.

“Uh, sometime within the next few days I think.”

“How does Patrick feel about that?”

“He wanted to fix things with her before they left but I think he gave up on that today.”

“Easier said than done.”

“I know. I just hope I can make him feel better.”

“Gerard hasn’t come back out here yet so they must be working some things out.”

“Yeah. I guess you were right about omegas understanding omegas better than anyone.”

“Just like an alpha understands an alpha.”

“There are some alphas that I don’t understand. I don’t understand how any of them could do such awful things to an omega. I’ll never understand that.”

“I didn’t mean every alpha. Just the ones worth understanding. There’s probably even some omegas out there that don’t make sense to most omegas.”

“Yeah I guess.” Pete looked over to the door where Patrick and Gerard were still hidden. 

“They’ll be out when they’re ready.” Andy reminded him.

“I know, I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

“Then go distract yourself with something. Frank is making lunch, I highly recommend you go help him or we could all be eating Pez candy on bread.”

 

That was how Pete and Frank ended up in the kitchen making a pile of sandwiches for everyone. 

Frank noticed the way that Pete had been particularly quiet since he and Patrick had gotten home.

“So Gee is pretty excited about all of us becoming a pack.”

Pete looked up, “Really? That’s great, it’ll be good once everything settles down a bit. I was kinda worried about how everyone would feel about it. But with Patrick, Gee and Bren getting reunited and everything I think they would kill us if we ever tried to separate them again. And Joe is really happy that he’s not the only omega around here anymore. He never complained but, I wouldn’t want to be the only alpha somewhere either. So I guess that makes sense. Andy is really glad that you and Tyler and Josh are so comfortable with it. We love you guys.”

Pete had been rambling, which made Frank smirk to himself, seems his plan to distract Pete had worked. And he didn’t even have to do much of anything.

“We love you guys too.”

 

Brendon had joined Gerard and Patrick, handing them each a sandwich, “Will Andy or Joe care that were eating in their bed?”

“Doubtful. But don’t make a mess.”

“Everything good? You guys have been in here a while.”

“Yeah. I mean for now. Gee helped a lot.” Patrick answered. He really wasn’t sure how he was feeling about everything. But he knew he wasn’t totally okay with everything that had happened.

“Good. Cause later I wanna go shopping.” Brendon’s eyes had lit up at the prospect of shopping.

“Bren you don’t need any more clothes. Most of the time I see you you’re wearing Ty or Josh’s clothes anyway.” Gerard argued.

“So, you wear Frank’s stuff all the time and yet you still like shopping too. Admit it.”

“Fine I like shopping but shopping with you takes hours!”

“Some of us buy more than just jackets!”

It was playful arguing, nothing said in actual anger or hostility, and it was enough to make Patrick try to contain his laughter from his friends.

It didn’t work.

“What are laughin at Stump?” Gerard had a mischievous look in his eyes, one that the other two knew very well.

Brendon threw himself on top of Patrick, grabbing and poking at his waist in an effort to hit his ticklish spots and pressure points.

Gerard joined in, aiming for Brendon just as much as Patrick.

“Alright! Alright! I surrender!” Brendon shouted as Patrick and Gerard had begun teaming up to get him.

“Victory is ours!” Gerard hollered in a deep voice.

 

“Sounds like they’re perfectly fine.” Pete said amazed, only a couple hours ago Patrick was screaming and crying in a fight with his mother and now he was laughing and messing around with his friends as if they were children on a sugar rush.

He looked at the bedroom door concerned, he knew the sound of laughter should make him happy but he still couldn’t get the image of angry and hurt Patrick out of his head. 

Joe was sitting on the floor leaning back against Andy’s legs as they ate lunch. He took the news about Patricia as a good sign that there wasn’t an alpha watching them that night, but he was still a bit uneasy. Especially since Patrick hadn’t been able to actually make up with her. He just felt safer being close to his alpha right now.

“You can scent Joe if you need to. I mean it’ll at least help you calm down some.” Andy suggested, he knew Pete wouldn’t calm down completely until he was sure Patrick was doing alright, but he hoped that he would relax at least a little bit for right now.

“Maybe later.” Pete replied. He did want to grab Joe and scent him until his nerves calmed down some. He knew Joe would let him, but he also knew that it wasn’t a permanent fix.

He wanted to scent Patrick and make sure he was alright, but he needed to remind himself that Patrick would come to him when and if he needed to. He didn’t want to pressure the omega into talking if he wasn’t ready.

“Brendon wants to go shopping later. You guys wanna come?” Josh asked the group, sensing the need to change the topic of conversation.

“If Patrick goes I’ll go.” Pete replied easily, still staring at the doorway.

“I’ll ask Gee. If Bren and Patrick go he’ll definitely go, even if he doesn’t actually want anything.” Frank said.

“Joe? Interested?” Tyler asked.

Joe tilted his head back so he was looking at his boyfriend upside down. “Only if Andy goes too.”

He could tell that Joe was still pretty stressed, even though the omega was trying to hide it. 

“I’ll go anywhere with you.”


	52. Miss Missing You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the updates are more scattered than before. It seems like all of my assignments are due at once.

Shopping was never something that Pete enjoyed. Today though he was grateful for it because it provided a distraction which he and Patrick desperately needed. 

Patrick hadn’t been avoiding Pete, he hadn’t confided in him like usual though. 

Every instinct Pete had was telling him to comfort his mate. But he held back. 

He didn’t want to pressure the omega. Didn’t want to make him feel like he had to talk. But Pete was driving himself crazy trying to figure out how to talk to Patrick. 

They were walking around the mall, stopping at various stores anytime someone saw something they liked. 

The group split into two smaller groups at some point. Andy, Joe, Tyler, Josh and Brendon had gone in a different direction of the mall and Pete, Patrick, Gerard and Frank had stayed together.

Patrick and Gerard were chattering happily back and forth. For a while Pete was focused on the sound of his boyfriend laughing, only being pulled out of his thoughts whenever someone got too close or looked at Patrick in any unfriendly way.

“Fuck yeah! Let’s go in there. It’s my favorite store and it’s omega friendly.” Gerard had grabbed Patrick and pulled him along into the store. Pete and Frank followed along and rolled their eyes. 

Of course Gerard’s favorite store was hot topic.

The store was mostly empty, anybody that was in there were only betas and other omegas, so Patrick and Gerard were free to wander around without supervision. 

“Are you gonna talk to him anytime soon?” Frank broke the silence between himself and Pete, sending his friend a knowing look. “You’ve had that same pent up angsty worry since you two got back this morning.”

“I just wanna make sure he’s okay.” 

“You sure that’s all it is?” 

Pete sighed, he didn’t think he was this transparent, “I miss him. I know that sounds insane because we’re together right now and have been for a while but, I just really want to be close to him.”

“That doesn’t sound all that crazy. Why don’t you just tell him?” Frank couldn’t understand the hesitation.

“I don’t want to make him feel pressured to say or do anything. I want him to feel as free as possible.”

“Just because you’re an alpha doesn’t mean your feelings don’t count. And you can be in a relationship without him losing freedom. Besides, he seems pretty happy now.”

“You sound like Andy.” Pete huffed.

“Thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment. Does that mean you’ll take my advice?”

Pete looked up at his friend, he wanted to talk to Patrick, his friends were telling him it was a good idea. Today was stressful though, especially for Patrick, he didn’t need to add to that.

“I’ll think about it.” 

Pete looked around the store, eyes landing on Patrick, the omega was standing beside Gerard in front of a big mirror, trying on different hats and sunglasses. 

Damn Patrick looks cute in hats.

Pete figured giving it a try wouldn’t hurt. He walked over behind them and grabbed a fedora off the shelf, smirking as he plopped it down on his boyfriend’s head.

Patrick froze for a moment before looking back at the mirror, smiling when he found Pete’s eyes.

Pete stepped closer to him, resting his chin on his boyfriend’s shoulder, “You look even more adorable than you already did.”

Patrick blushed, looked at himself in the mirror again, he did like the hat. He liked it even more since it was Pete who had picked it out for him. 

He turned to look at his future alpha, and he wasn’t positive, but he thought he saw a bit of something in the other’s eyes. Pete looked like a lost puppy. Longing, sadness, something was filling his eyes while he wore a smile that Patrick thought seemed a little forced. Pete had been a bit distanced today, and he wasn’t sure why.

Patrick thought maybe it was everything with his mother that had Pete bothered, but it didn’t seem likely. He wasn’t like this when they saw her, or when they left. 

He could feel his instincts telling him to submit and push out a many calming scents as possible, he almost gave in. But he wasn’t even sure if he was reading the situation right.

It had been a solid minute and neither had broken eye contact. He could feel Pete’s fingers moving in circles on his waist.

Maybe Pete really was upset about something? 

Patrick figured he should trust his instinct. He would rather comfort his boyfriend when he didn’t need it than not comfort him when he did need it.

Patrick pushed back against Pete until his back was completely against the alpha’s front. He tilted his chin to kiss his boyfriend’s forehead before dropping his head back to rest on Pete’s shoulder and releasing his scent, moving to expose his neck to Pete’s mouth.

Pete had been still, afraid that moving would ruin the moment. He didn’t know what Patrick was going to do when he first looked over at him, but he liked it whatever it was.

When he felt the omega kiss his head, he let his eyes slip closed, and tightened his grip on Patrick’s sides.

His boyfriend must know he’s stressed because Patrick's scent changed.

When Patrick tilted his head to expose his neck Pete didn’t hesitate. He closed the gap between them and started scenting the omega. 

It had been longer then normal since the last time they did this. That probably contributed to why Pete’s moods were so out of whack.

The length of time definitely had an effect. He was a bit more aggressive than he usually was. He hadn’t meant to, but at one point he started sucking a hickey on his boyfriend. 

Patrick hadn’t pulled away or flinched or had any kind of negative reaction at all. 

He moaned when he felt Pete’s teeth and lips on his skin. He fucking moaned. It went straight through the alpha, who was still vaguely aware that they were in public.

When Pete was satisfied with the mark he left he pulled back and smiled at his work before looking back to the omega’s face with worry, “You okay? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lose control like that, I shou—”

“Don’t, don’t apologize. I like it.” Patrick interrupted quietly, face flushing like he was revealing some big secret.

“Really?” Pete’s smile returned.

“Really.” Patrick looked into Pete’s eyes again, they seemed back to normal, lit up with excitement and happiness. “You wanna tell me what was bothering you before?”

Pete was a bit surprised, “I didn’t know you could tell.”

“Or course. I just didn’t know what it was or how to help. I’m glad I helped, but don’t think that that was the only reason I let you scent me. I really like having your scent on me.”

Pete smiled, “I really miss you. And I thought something was bothering you, you and Gee were talking for a while, and we didn’t talk about what happened and I just, I wanted to make sure you were okay but I didn’t want to pressure you and—”

Patrick pressed his lips against Pete’s, effectively ending his rambling, “Next time, just ask. Then we get to sort out our problems and scent all that much sooner.”

“You’re right. So, with everything that happened this morning, I mean…”

“I wish it had gone differently. But if my relationship with her is going to be toxic, I would rather she be back in Chicago. Maybe we can fix our relationship at a long distance.  
Being close is obviously not working. She needs to come to some hard realizations, and I need to accept that she’s different from how she used to be.”

“Wow, when did you figure all this out?”

“Gerard and Brendon are actually pretty good therapists. Kind of like what Andy does for you.”

“Hah, yeah I guess Andy did take on that role in my life.”

“I don’t think he minds.” Patrick added quickly when he saw Pete start questioning himself.

 

“You two done yet?” Gerard and Frank were standing a few feet away, watching them with matching smirks.

“Shut up.” Patrick mumbled as he hid his face in Pete’s neck.

“Oh now you’re shy. You two were just—”

“We’ve done worse in public, leave ‘em alone.” Frank interrupted his boyfriend.

 

As they made their way to the register Pete noticed that Patrick was still wearing the fedora he put on his head, “You getting that?”

Patrick reached up to wear Pete was gesturing and lifted it off his head, “Of course, my boyfriend picked it out.” 

“You must have great taste in boyfriends.” Pete teased back.

“Mmmm, he has even better taste in boyfriends.” Patrick smirked.

 

The cashier, a young beta girl, looked hesitantly at them as they made it to the counter. She didn’t look at Pete at all, only Patrick. Betas outranked omegas by societies standards, eye contact wasn’t normally initiated by omegas. But Patrick found himself seeking it out every time he noticed her gaze kept falling on his neck. Pete must’ve really left a mark there if it had her attention this much.

Pete noticed her scent shift to something more on the submissive side but decided not to say anything. Patrick noticed too, figuring it must be a beta thing when alphas were around, but he didn’t understand why she looked so nervous.

“Everything alright?” Patrick asked gently. 

He didn’t intend to scare her, but she paled a bit more, looking in Pete’s direction. The alpha was currently turned around, back rested against the counter as he talked quietly on his phone.

“Um…this is an omega safe zone… are you alright? Your neck is…” She mostly whispered, constantly shifting her eyes back to Pete like she was afraid he would yell or hurt her. 

Or maybe she was afraid of him being mad at Patrick? He was speaking without permission he wasn’t behaving in a submissive way like she probably expected an omega with an alpha would. 

Safe zone or not, omegas still had to obey their alpha’s commands. The safe zones were more for protecting omegas that were unmated or unclaimed. 

Technically Patrick wasn’t mated yet, but he still belonged to Pete. And Pete belonged to him. Of course, if he told her that she’d really think he lost his mind.

He figured ‘causal’ was the best way to play off this situation.

“Oh yeah I’m fine. So is my neck, it’s just a hickey. My boyfriend gave it—”

“Boyfriend?” She interrupted surprised, she quickly covered her mouth and looked down again.

“Yeah, he’s my boyfriend.” Patrick pointed at Pete.

“Oh?” She still seemed confused but didn’t say anything else as she rung up the purchases.

Patrick stayed quiet too, not sure how to react.

She sounded nervous when she told him the total for their purchase, and she was looking everywhere but Pete and freezing when she heard Patrick speak again.

“Pete, wallet.” Patrick nudged his boyfriend with his elbow to get his attention.

Without question Pete pulled his wallet out and handed it to Patrick, then continued to talk on his phone.

The cashier’s jaw dropped slightly; she was obviously trying to hide her shock. Patrick decided not to say anything else, just handing over Pete’s credit card and waiting.

She hesitated before taking it from him, glancing at Pete again, but the alpha wasn’t paying attention.

Pete hung up his call and turned around just as she was handing back his card to Patrick and picked up the bags. Something else that got her looking surprised.

“Ready baby?” Pete asked, louder than necessary. He knew she was afraid of him by the way her scent smelled and the way she wouldn’t make eye contact. She probably wasn’t used to seeing an alpha treat an omega like this. He didn’t necessarily WANT to scare her, he just wanted to surprise her a bit. He always enjoyed shocking people in public. Especially when it was something like this. It spread a message that not all alphas were assholes.

It worked because when Patrick looped their arms together with a happy “Yep” he heard her gasp.

 

“So now what?” Frank asked, voice slightly hopeful. He was getting a bit annoyed with all the people around, he didn’t like shopping either, but if it made Gerard happy than he was all too eager to do it with a smile, even if he had to force it.

“Andy called, they’re all getting lunch in the food court if we wanna join them?” Pete looked at Patrick and Gerard.

“Sounds good.”

“As long as I can have pizza.” Gerard requested.

 

They were getting some strange looks, to be expected really, I mean there were nine of them sitting in a big group. Four of them being omegas.

Betas and omegas who looked over were mostly just curious, interested in how five alphas were so casually sitting with omegas and treating them no different.

Alphas, most alphas looked at them in anger or disgust. Upset with omegas being treated like they had the same rights as alphas and betas did.

But nobody had approached them. Who would? Andy and Josh were ripped. They could probably pass for boxers if they wanted to. Pete, Frank and Tyler weren’t as muscly as them, but they could still be intimidating. Pete and Frank were temperamental, easily angered with the ability to start a fight and have no reservations, Tyler would send a glare that had most people backing off on sight. Something that his friends thought was funny, Tyler was a funny guy. He was easy going and made awkward jokes, but he could fight if it came down to it.

People were walking past the table just to get a better sniff of their scents, trying to figure out if it really was what they were seeing. 

For the most part they ignored the omegas and betas walking by, but any alpha that got too close for comfort was given a few growls and glares.

Patrick didn’t like the tension that came every time another alpha got close. It was stifling. Joe seemed to share his thoughts because he rested his hand on Andy’s thigh every time the other alphas growled. 

Andy had the most self-control out of everyone in the group. Whenever his friends growled at passing alphas he looked around at the rest of the room. While the pack was focused on the alpha near the table, he was making sure there were no others sneaking up on them.

It seemed to work, he made eye contact with a few alphas watching him, they knew he was the pack alpha then. Despite it not being official yet. He would glare and flex his arms over his chest or pull Joe closer to him.

Looking around the room he saw that some omegas were kneeling by their alpha or betas side, others were permitted to sit at the table.

Patrick tried not to look around too much. It was hard seeing omegas being treated that way, especially when he sees the way Pete treats him, or the way his friends are treated by their alphas. 

He feels guilty. 

Guilty because he has something that they don’t.

He doesn’t want to give up what he has, but he doesn’t want anybody else to be mistreated.

Patrick made sure to sit as close to Pete on the bench as possible. Most of their side was touching the other, from shoe to shoulder.

Patrick was also starting to really understand what Pete had meant earlier when he’d said that he missed him.

He felt it too. He just didn’t know what it was until Pete explained his side.

His boyfriend was totally pressed up against him right now, and he still felt like he wanted to be closer. He felt guilty about Pete too, he should’ve noticed something was bothering him sooner. He was so distracted with his own problems that he forgot other people had them too.

Patrick dropped his head onto Pete’s shoulder and wrapped his hands around his arm, tracing over the tattoos with his fingertips.

He felt Pete kiss his head and sigh into his hair. At least the alpha seemed happy. 

 

It wasn’t long before they attract the attention of the mall police. Police is probably an overstatement. 

He was an alpha, maybe in his 40s. Andy noticed the way he puffed up his chest before walking over to them.

It was the first time that Pete or Frank didn’t growl. They didn’t want to be kicked out of the mall, but they didn’t relax either. They still made sure at least one of them was between the ‘cop’ and their omegas.

“How are all you boys doing today?” He didn’t even try to hide the suspicion in his voice.

“We’re just fine.” Andy answered. Voice cold, but not aggressive or challenging.

The officer focused all of his attention on Andy then, realizing that he was the head alpha, “This your pack?”

“Yes. Though not all of them are official yet.”

“And these…omegas…you’ve got with you?” The man looked at every alpha at their table, but he barely glanced over the omegas he was talking about.

Andy felt everyone at the table tense, he tried to use his own scent to calm them, I seemed to work on everyone but Frank and Tyler. They were still on edge, waiting for the sign that they needed to get up and defend.

He put his arm across Joe’s front to put some sort of shield between his mate and the officer, he didn’t think that Joe was in any actual danger, but showing that he was willing to protect his omega would make the other alpha stand down. Nothing fuels adrenaline like the urge to protect your mate.

“They’re also pack members, or at least future pack members.”

“Well, be sure to keep them in line.” The officer laced his voice with a bit of alpha thrum, clearly picking up on Andy’s message, but not being deterred yet.

The man’s tone did nothing to intimidate Andy, he just pushed his own alpha voice out a bit, “They’re perfectly fine.”

The man’s eyes widened a bit, but he didn’t say any more. He nodded at Andy and glanced at the rest of the table before turning on his heel and leaving. He glanced over his shoulder at them, more than once, only to meet Andy’s eyes each time.

“It’s pretty messed up when even cops don’t support omega rights.” Brendon mumbled.


	53. The Only Thing That’s Ever Stopping Me Is Me

Even after they returned home, Patrick still felt that pull inside. He wanted Pete. 

He wanted his touch…his attention…his scent. 

He just wanted HIM.

Part of him knew that Pete wanted him as much, but the other part of him didn’t want to seem clingy.

Despite all the progress he made since getting out of the hospital, certain moments made him feel just as helpless and lost as he did before.

Pete would never push him away, this much he was sure of. 

But Pete had done so much already that Patrick’s guilt was becoming a permanent fixture in his mind.

Especially today.

Guilty about how he left things with his mom.

Guilty about not noticing Pete’s stress.

Guilty about the other omegas at the mall that weren’t being treated fairly.

Guilty about wanting Pete more, when he had already taken so much from him.

Guilty because Pete obviously needed him today and he was already back to needing Pete.

Guilty because he was using his friends as therapists since he saw them.

 

Scenting and kissing in the store earlier seemed to help them both though, maybe he could try that again.

He grabbed Pete’s wrist and pulled him back outside as everyone else was heading into the apartment.

“Trick? Everything okay?” He sounded concerned. 

“Can we go back to your spot on the mountain? Please?” Patrick was hopeful, if he was gonna do this, he didn’t want any distractions. 

He and Pete desperately needed some one on one time. 

They needed to talk. Communication was obviously difficult for both of them, but he knew Pete was waiting for him. 

Patrick was the one setting the pace in the relationship. He could tell that sometimes Pete wanted to say something or ask him a question but held back. Probably out of fear of pressuring him.

Maybe the two of them would have to sit down with Andy and Joe to talk this out. They seemed to be pretty open and good at communication. Joe had suggested it already, the four of them talking out some stuff. They would have to eventually, before Patrick joins the pack. 

“Of course.” Pete had only hesitated out of surprise. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I just want to talk. I think we need to. Up there we won’t have any distractions.”

For a fleeting moment Pete panicked, thinking maybe Patrick was talking about breaking up. 

The worry must have shown on his face, or maybe his scent gave it away, because Patrick wrapped his arms around Pete’s neck and pulled his face close to kiss his nose.

“I promise it’s nothing bad.” Patrick murmured, his breath ghosting over Pete’s face.

 

They stepped out of the car and Patrick intertwined his fingers with Pete’s. 

The alpha led them to the clearing and stopped when they were close to the center.

Patrick closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, if only he could turn the smell of the woods into a candle, ‘a candle that actually smelled realistic’.

Patrick was the first to sit down, not letting go of Pete’s hand, just staring up at him from his spot on the ground, he gave a gentle tug on the alpha’s arm.

Pete complied, sitting in front of the omega so they were facing each other.

“I’m sorry.” Patrick spoke so quickly and softly that Pete wasn’t sure he even said anything.

Pete opened his mouth to ask what he meant but was cut off with a wave of Patrick’s hand.

“Earlier you said that you missed me. I really miss you too. But I feel really guilty about it because you needed me and I was a bit distant after talking with my mother. I didn’t even mean to be I just didn’t want to be clingy. I should’ve done something when I first noticed you were behaving different, so I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have tried to keep it hidden so much. I just didn’t want to—”

“didn’t want to pressure me?” Patrick asked.

“Yeah. I don’t want to be the reason that you ever feel uncomfortable or forced.”

“I haven’t felt uncomfortable around you since I was in the hospital, even then I wanted you around. Oh god, I am clingy.”

“You’re not clingy. Wanting to be close to your boyfriend doesn’t make you clingy it makes you cuddly. And in case you didn’t notice I am the exact same way. So if you’re clingy than so am I.”

Patrick smiled at that, “Thanks.”

“I also don’t want you to feel guilty for anything. You didn’t do or not do anything wrong.”

“Truthfully I have been feeling pretty guilty about a lot of things. You, my mom, Joe, the omegas at the mall…”

“I told you don’t worry about me and you. We’re good. I promise from now on, when I have a problem or question, I’ll just ask. And we can work it out. As for your mother, like you said, you didn’t do anything wrong. If she’s gonna be toxic, then you don’t need her to be around you. I’m not trying to tell you what to do, okay? This is what you said. And there is not any reason to feel guilty about it. Now you said Joe and the omegas at the mall?”

“Yeah…”

“Sweetie I highly doubt you could’ve done anything to Joe to feel guilty about.”

“He was really freaked out that night. Because of my mother. He shouldn’t have had to feel like that in his own home.”

“I agree. But it wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know, and you weren’t the one who did it. He doesn’t blame you.”

“Yeah maybe.”

“You’ll have to talk to him. It’s the only way you’ll feel better about it.”

“I know. Later I will. I actually want the four of us to sit and talk about some stuff. Joe suggested it.”

“Anything. Now, the omegas in the mall?”

“Yeah…its just seeing a lot of them not being treated fairly, and them having to see the way some other omegas are treated nicely. It’s just…I have something I know that they want. And I know what it feels like to want to be treated the way you treat me. Some of them might never have it.”

A couple of tears had escaped Patrick’s eyes.

“If you believe you don’t deserve to be treated this way, then you may have mixed guilt with sympathy.”

Patrick thought for a moment, “I really love being taken care of by you. The way that you’re gentle and kind. I just wish other omegas also had a chance to experience it.”

“Your background,” Pete started gently, “has pushed a lot of things on you. One of them probably being guilt. It was a way to control you. I’ve seen a lot of omegas after recovery feel this way. It isn’t abnormal. You feel guilty for having something that others don’t.”

“Yeah but how do I get over it?”

“It’ll take time. You need to realize that you deserve to be treated kindly. For omegas that…that have been abused, it’s a bit harder, because they don’t always understand why someone is being nice to them. Remember when we first met? Did you trust me right away?”

“I guess not. I thought you were being nice to trick me. I thought it was one of his games and you were gonna punish me.”

It hurt to hear that Patrick thought those things about him, but Pete knew it wasn’t his fault. It was actually a relief to hear Patrick call the guy something other than ‘owner’.

“And why did you think that I was going to punish you?”

“Because I didn’t…” It was only then that Patrick realized the truth. 

He felt guilty for being an omega. 

If he hadn’t been an omega, then none of this would’ve happened. 

He wouldn’t have been sold.

There would’ve been no torture or rape.

He would never have been in the hospital.

Things with his mother would be fine.

He would never have lost his friends.

Pete.

He would never have met Pete.

That thought just confused him more. 

He wasn’t thankful for being tortured. He wasn’t. 

But he was thankful for meeting Pete.

If he weren’t an omega, he might not have ever met the alpha.

“At the time, I was afraid and angry about being an omega. I figured all omegas were for was to be used however an alpha chose.”

“That’s because of what was drilled into your head by that guy that tortured you. He made you believe those things. And some of them stuck longer than others. But you are healing. There’s already a few that you overcame.”

Patrick looked up, curious. He didn’t think he had overcome anything yet. This was the first thing he thought he had to fight. “What do you mean?”

“When you were in the hospital, you had trouble speaking without being spoken to, you always waited for my permission before you ate anything. Then one day you didn’t. One day you felt comfortable enough to speak and eat without waiting for permission.”

Patrick forgot about that. “I was waiting for you to tell me no or punish me for eating without your approval.”

“I know. But they were victories. However small they may seem.”

“Why did you give me permission to eat, instead of just telling me I didn’t need to wait?”

“Because it was something you had to learn for yourself. If I told you that, you wouldn’t have believed me. If I hadn’t done or said anything then you wouldn’t have eaten. And we would still be in the hospital trying to build your weight back up.”

“I guess that’s true. Speaking of the hospital, do I need to go back anymore for check-ups?” Patrick really didn’t want to go back anymore.

Pete thought for a moment, “You have another follow up next week and then if you want to get on suppressants you’ll need to be examined.”

“Examined? Even though Dr. Woods had already been checking me every few weeks?”

“It’s a different type of exam. This one is a bit more…invasive. It determines how far away your heat is going to be, and if your body is stable for the meds. They might suggest letting at least one heat happen so they can be sure, and to see what type of suppressants you’ll need.” Pete was speaking with as gentle of a voice as he could. He knew this probably wasn’t what Patrick wanted to hear, but he needed to know the truth.

“I really don’t like the idea of going through heat again. Would it be Dr. Woods to examine me?”

“They usually have beta doctors do that type of exam.”

“Would you be in the room with me?” Patrick was scared to do the exam, he remembered some of the nurses and other doctors not being of a welcoming presence to omegas.

“If you want. I won’t leave your side. You can ask Andy and Joe more about this later. They’ll be able to better describe it for us.”

“If I do…if I do have to go through another heat…what will happen?”

“Well, that’s up to you. There are a few options. You can go to a clinic for the week, they’ll have betas and other omegas that take care of you, or you can stay at home and take care of yourself or I can take care of you. Whichever you chose is perfectly fine.”

Patrick paused; he definitely did NOT want to go to a clinic and the idea of being by himself was terrifying. But he wasn’t ready for sex with Pete. He loved him. And he wouldn’t want anybody else, but despite what Joe had told him he still thought of sex as something painful. He didn’t want to associate Pete with pain.

Pete seemed to notice his dilemma, “We don’t need to have sex for me to take care you. I’ve taken care of plenty of omegas in heat before. I can be there as much or as little as you want. I wont even touch you without your permission.”

Truthfully the idea of Patrick being in heat anywhere other than with Pete made him feel a bit nauseous. 

“But wont that make things a bit hard on you? Being around me in heat? And what if I ask for something in my heat that I’m not actually ready for?”

“We’ll set out what you are and aren’t okay with before your heat. That way we both know the limits. I won’t cross any lines that you lay out. And if, for some reason, I can’t handle it, Andy or Joe can step in and help. Or any of the other guys that you approve of, of course.”

“Being in a house full of people during my heat is gonna be bit strange.”

“Three other people in the house have heats. Andy and I are trained to help omegas in heat. And even though you don’t know them all that well, Tyler, Josh and Frank would never hurt you. But if you are uncomfortable with it then we could get a hotel room.”

Patrick smiled, a small happy smile, “Thanks. I really do appreciate everything you do.”  
“You don’t have to thank me for this. Consent and safety are basic rights of life.”

 

For a moment they were both silent.

The only movement being the winds rustle of trees and grass around them.

Patrick looked up at his boyfriend to find him staring back.

The urge to move forward and kiss him crossed his mind. It seemed that his instincts agreed because he flushed thinking about it.

Patrick bit his lip, “Can I try something?”

“Anything.” Pete didn’t know where Patrick was going with this, but he wasn’t about to stop him.

“Close your eyes.”

Pete obeyed, his heart rate picking up a bit.

Suddenly he felt a small weight in his lap, and arms encircling his neck. He didn’t want to push things, but he couldn’t help himself from reaching up to put his arms around the omegas back.

He felt their chests touch, only briefly, before soft lips landed on his own.

This time there was no room for hesitation. 

Patrick was rewarded with the lips kissing back and the alpha’s arms tightening around him.

They had only done this a few times.

Everything was still new, he didn’t necessarily like being in charge. Especially since he had no idea how to do what he wanted. It was just too much questioning for his liking. 

He figures letting Pete take over would be his best option. 

The omega parted his lips a bit and waited. 

Pete responded instantly. Pushing his tongue into Patrick’s mouth, it was gentle at first, but he used his teeth to pull at the omega’s bottom lip.

He didn’t realize he’d done it at first, almost stopping when he realized. 

But then he felt hands tangle into his hair.

If Patrick wasn’t cool with this then he was a damn good liar.

Pete chanced slipping a hand down to his boyfriend’s waist, squeezing gently and earning a soft moan. Pete knew he was getting hard despite his best efforts to stop it, he could also feel a slight bulge against his stomach from Patrick.

If he didn’t stop this soon they both might regret it. Patrick just said he wasn’t ready for sex yet. But he had been the one to initiate this kiss. But then again, he had promised Patrick that he would ask whenever he wasn’t sure of something…

Gently, as much as it pained him to do so, Pete pushed back Patrick’s shoulders until they were a few inches apart, the only part of them still connected was the way the omega was straddling his lap.

Patrick gave him a confused look.

“How far do you want this to go?” Pete asked calmly, despite his breathing coming out in pants.

It was only then that Patrick seemed to realize how far he’d gone. He really just wanted to try deeper and longer kisses, he must’ve got carried away. Then he realized he was semi-hard.

Panicking he started to shift backwards out Pete’s lap only to have to alpha stop him. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to lose control like that—"

“No, no wait a minute. You didn’t do anything wrong. I just want to make sure that we both know where were stopping this before things go too far.”

Pete had wrapped his arms around Patrick and pulled him back to sit in his lap again, the omega let his hands rest on his boyfriend’s shoulders and stared into his eyes.

“I wanted to kiss you like that. I just didn’t know how so I figured if I started it then you would like...I don’t know…take over.”

Pete smirked, “Anytime you want a kiss or hug or cuddle or scent its yours, just say the word. Anytime, anywhere you want. All I ask is that you don’t push yourself to do something before you’re ready and you let me know how far you want it to go.”

“I can live with that.” Patrick relaxed into the alphas lap again. “Just FYI, that was a good place to stop us. I was planning to stop before but kind of lost control.” He looked down at his lap and blushed before looking away.

“Look at me.” Pete waited for Patrick to comply, “Don’t be embarrassed. In case you haven’t noticed,” Pete pulled Patrick down against his lap to emphasize, “I’m turned on too. It’s a body’s natural response to what we were doing.”

Patrick was blushing even more now. “Sorry.”

Pete knew Patrick was wildly apologetic, they would have to work on that.

“Don’t be sorry. Nothing about this is wrong.” Pete tried to emphasize this point, but he could tell that Patrick had a bit if trouble believing it.

“Well you say that, but we’re both hard and I’m not ready to follow through with anything to help either one of us. I’m a tease.”

“You’re my tease.” Pete wiggled his eyebrows at the omega.

“I’m glad you find this amusing.” Patrick huffed. He wasn’t really mad, but he did feel bad for getting his boyfriend worked up and then not follow through.

“Patrick,” Pete put his hands on the sides of the omega’s face and tilted his head down to look into his eyes, “no matter how far we go with anything, I will always stop whenever you say. I promise.”

“And you won’t be mad?” Patrick didn’t really believe he would be mad, but he had to make sure.

“Never. And I will never punish you either.”

Pete let go of Patrick’s face and let his hands fall back to the omega’s waist.

Patrick didn’t say anything for a moment, he couldn’t look away from Pete just yet. He didn’t really know what to say. He believed Pete, he was still nervous about a lot of things, but talking about them with Pete definitely helped. 

It wasn’t until he really thought about their conversation today that he realized how far he’d come.

He just needs to take his time with overcoming his fears.

Maybe Pete was right, and he really could do this.


	54. Without Hesitation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late. It's the end of the semester so my update schedule should be back to normal by the end of next week. Thank you for reading if you've actually read this far.

That talk with Andy and Joe was bound to be awkward. 

When they got back Patrick told Joe that he wanted the four of them to talk. They discussed what topics they were gonna cover but Patrick still didn’t feel comfortable.

Joe being the ever-supportive friend just smiled and nodded, saying “Anytime you’re ready.”

 

He and Joe had talked about the four of them talking about some stuff, some really intense and embarrassing stuff.

That’s how they got to where they are now. All four of them back in Andy and Joe’s room. 

Andy was sitting with his back against the headboard, fingers playing in Joe’s hair as the omega sprawled across his lap.

Pete was sitting towards the end of the bed with his legs folded under him facing his friends. Patrick took a seat next to him.

“So, where should we start?” Patrick asked, not because he wanted to start, God no. He just didn’t want it to be silent right now.

“Anywhere you want.” Andy replied easily, making Patrick feel a bit better about talking but he wished he could be that calm.

“Alright uh, something easy I guess. Or easier than the rest of the stuff…what did you guys have to do for Joe to start taking suppressants? Pete said that there are different examinations and stuff, what are they like?”

“I had to be examined twice. Once when we asked about getting suppressants and then again after a heat. The first one was just to test for different allergy type stuff and see if my omega glands would be able to sustain the medicine. The second one was to see how my heat affected my body and to know what type of suppressants I needed.” Joe answered easily.

“Did it hurt? The…being examined I mean?” Patrick was a bit scared to know, but he was more scared to have a heat.

“They drain a bit of fluid from one of your heat glands. That hurt a bit. But it wasn’t the worst thing I’d ever felt. The rest of the exams are mostly like a check-up. Blood pressure, reflexes, shots, blood tests, breathing, blah blah blah.” 

“Did they let you stay in the room with him?” Pete asked Andy nervously.

“I didn’t give them much choice. You know as well as I do that the betas aren’t always nice. Even the ones that are supposed to be nurses and doctors. I wasn’t gonna take a chance leaving Joe with them.”

“Good. I don’t think I could handle leaving him with anybody.”

“I’ll have to go through a heat before they let me get them, won’t I?”

“Most likely. I know it doesn’t seem fair but, it really is the best way to know what type of suppressants will work for you.” Andy tried his best to be comforting.

“I’m scared for that.”

“I know. Have you talked about where you would want to spend it?”

“Here, I think. I-if that’s okay.”

“Of course.” Andy knew it was still difficult for Patrick to feel totally comfortable, but he was so used to how comfortable Joe was that it was still a bit surprising when Patrick asked for permission of some kind.

“Are you gonna help him?” The question was directed at Pete now.

“If he wants.” Pete sounded unsure but he looked at Patrick for confirmation.

“I can’t imagine not having you there. I just don’t think, everything that normally happens in heat is something that I’m ready for.”

“You don’t have to have sex during your heat.” Joe added, he could tell that Patrick was nervous, they all could. But being an omega himself it would be easier to talk about.

“He said that,” Patrick looked over at his boyfriend, “Are you sure it won’t bother you, being around me in heat?”

“I’m positive. And like I said, if for some reason I can’t, we do have other options. Both of them can step in at any time.” Pete gestured toward their friends.

“He’s right. If needed, me or Joe can step in. Only if that’s what you want.” 

Andy and Pete had spent quite a few heats with omegas at the hospital before he met Joe. They never included sex of course, sleeping with patients was against the rules for volunteers anyway.

Even when he first met Joe and the omega went into heat, he didn’t resort to sex right away. Even Pete helped Joe through the first heat he had with them. It wasn’t until Andy and Joe had already had sex under normal pretenses that they spent one of his heats together like that. They had mated that time. 

They didn’t even leave the room for what felt like ages. Pete would bring food and water in for them from time to time. Even in their post-mated state of mind he didn’t snap at the thought of another alpha near his new mate. Pete was always someone he trusted, even though he already knew Pete felt the same, it made him feel a sense of pride that Pete would let him help take care of Patrick.

“Thanks guys.” Patrick did feel better. Well not ‘better better’ but he wasn’t as scared of his heat knowing that he had people who would help him.

For moment everything was quiet, Patrick did have other things he wanted to ask, but he didn’t want to bring them up. He looked at Joe hopeful that the other omega would ask something.

He didn’t want to talk right now, but he didn’t want their ‘meeting’ to end just yet.

Joe took the hint, he had been mostly watching Patrick, waiting for the sign that he needed to step in. He had promised Patrick that he would step in if he needed him too.

“So when are we gonna do this pack bonding thing with everybody?” Joe asked as he rolled over in Andy’s lap to stare up at him.

“Well, that would depend on them. I’m not going to pressure anybody. If they want to do it individually or all together that is up to them. I really only need to claim Frank, Ty, and Josh. Because they mated with Brendon and Gee their bonds will automatically form with the pack. Same for Patrick, Pete is already bonded to me, so as soon as you two mate, you’ll be bonded too.”

Patrick was surprised, he honestly hadn’t thought about how they would be doing this, he just knew it would be happening. 

He wasn’t nervous to be a part of the pack, but he was nervous to have sex and mate with Pete. It would be the first time he’s ever had consensual sex in his life. 

Pete looked over at Patrick, “I promised that we’ll go at your pace. That won’t ever change. When ever you are ready we’ll talk about the details of it. But only when you’re totally sure.”

Joe smiled at his friends, thankful that Patrick was finally with someone who would respect him, thankful that Pete and Andy are actually good guys.

 

Flashback…

 

Joe had been living with Andy and Pete for a few months now. 

He was definitely into Andy. He had never felt this attracted to anyone or any thing before. He had already spent two heats with them, they didn’t rape him or hurt him at all. Something that both confused and reassured Joe that he truly was safe.

Andy had asked him to be his boyfriend last month. He never said yes to anything so quickly in his life.

It had been almost three months since his last heat, meaning that his next one was about to hit any day now.

They had planned for this. Earlier in the month he and Andy went to the hospital to see about getting suppressants. Joe really hated the way heats made him feel. 

This was probably going to be his last heat, at least for a long long time. He wanted to mate and bond with Andy. 

He just hadn’t told the alpha yet.

He knew he had to before the heat hit him so that Andy would know it was really him wanting it and not just his body reacting to alpha scent.

Currently he was curled up on the couch with Pete waiting for Andy to get home from work. 

“Pete?” Joe nudged the alphas hand in his hair.

“Hmmm?” Pete was mostly asleep. Only staying up to keep Joe company until Andy got home.

“How do you think Andy would react to me asking him to mate me?”

That got Pete’s attention. He sat up straight and removed his hand from Joe’s hair, “You sure that you’re ready for that? It’s a serious commitment.”

“I’ve never been more sure about anything. Do you think he would want to?”

“Of course he’ll want to. He cares about you a lot. A lot a lot.”

“I know. And I feel the same for him. I want him to be my mate.”

Pete smiled gently, “Then I think you’ll have no trouble convincing him. Not that he’ll need much convincing. He’s kinda nuts about you.”

 

End flashback…

 

While Joe was reminiscing, he had kind of tuned out of their conversation. As of lately he had been doing that a lot. He figures it is probably from not having as much alone time with his alpha as before. He missed that. But he wouldn’t trade having all of his friends as pack for anything.

“……feel like?” Patrick must’ve asked what being bonded felt like.

“Amazing.” Joe murmured, a sleepy smile on his face.

Andy looked down at the omega in his lap and traced his fingers over the mark covering Joe’s mating gland, “It’s like the calm before, during and after a storm. Everything is still. All of a sudden they become the center of your world. Everything you think is revolved around them. Making sure they’re safe and healthy and happy. You can sense their emotions and they can sense yours. So things get a bit crazy sometimes. But its really relaxing, knowing that there is someone out there that you are close enough to that you can share a piece of yourselves with each other. When you mate its a similar feeling, just a bit more personal.”

Andy hadn’t looked up from Joe in his lap, but the omega had opened his eyes and was staring back. The love Patrick saw in their eyes made him realize how true what Andy said must be.

Despite wanting to bond and mate, the pain he felt with his past made him want to hide at the very thought of sex.

“Does it hurt? Bonding I mean?” Patrick blurted the question out before he had a chance to stop himself.

“It didn’t for me.” Joe answered easily.

“Not if it’s don’t right and by somebody who cares.” Andy’s voice was firm, unwavering.

 

Flashback…

Joe was in the second day of his last heat before he went on suppressants, about a week ago he had asked Andy to mate him. After some convincing that he really wanted this he agreed. They had planned to wait until his heat had reached it’s peak, normally something that happened in the third day, but it was like his body knew what they had planned and decided to hurry things along.

“unggh---A-Andy---please…” Joe was currently squirming on their bed, Andy was rubbing his hand up and down his boyfriend’s side in an attempt to sooth his discomfort.

It really only made things worse. All Joe wanted to do was climb into Andy’s lap and get this started but every time he tried to sit up he felt hands pushing him back down. Probably for the best, his vision was foggy and his body felt like it was on fire. 

There was slick running between his legs, something he was still not used to and even less happy about. It felt so unnatural and blegh that he wanted to take a shower for a few days at least, and if it ever did any good he would. But showering only two days into your heat was pointless.

“Alpha please….”

“Shh, shhh, shh. I’m right here.” Andy was still petting in the calmest way he could. He knew he had already agreed to mate, and he wanted to, like REALLY wanted to. But he had to make sure that Joe was still okay.

“What do you want baby?”

“Ungggh…you…please, please, please…”

“I need to hear you say it or I’m not doing anything.” 

Andy felt guilty, he knew what Joe was asking for, but he wanted consent. He needed to hear it.

“I-I want…w-want you t-to….mmmm….ugh mate with m-me. Please please Andy…” Joe sounded so desperate.

He was shaking and his squirming was escalating to writhing, waiting for Andy to make a move.

Joe was covered in sweat, sticky and sweet smelling, if Andy had any less self-control he would never have lasted this long.

“Okay, okay. Good boy.” Andy praised as he pulled his shirt over his head.

The smell of alpha pheromones hit Joe hard. He spread his legs farther apart and lifted his hips in the air a few times just to get some movement.

He didn’t know when but Andy had moved to rest in between his legs and was kissing a line down his stomach. He arched his back to press closer to the contact, but Andy held him down and nipped at his hip bone.

The alpha hesitated when he got to the omega’s cock, letting his breath ghost over his head until he heard Joe whine above him.  
Slowly he started stroking him, he wanted to make sure that if they were really doing this that Joe got as much pleasure from it as possible.

It would be a while before Joe would actually feel comfortable.

He licked and sucked at Joe for a few minutes but Joe was shaking and squirming some much that he decided to move things along.

Andy sat up and ran his fingers through the slick on Joe’s legs. The omega might hate it but in this situation it was actually very helpful. The natural stretch and lubricant took away some of Andy’s fears about hurting the omega.

He inserted a finger, with absolutely no effort. It wasn’t enough for Joe though, he barely felt it, he was still writhing and moaning where he was on the bed, with Andy’s other hand firm on his hip.

Andy took a chance and added two more fingers, it still wasn’t any actual stretch but making sure he would experience as little pain as possible was important. He was adding a bit of lube too. Unnecessary in this situation but he was absolutely not going to risk anything.

After rubbing some lube on himself he lined up with Joe’s entrance and looked to the omega’s eyes once more. Joe had his head thrown to the side, he was panting, his eyes were unfocused and half closed but they still found Andy’s, staring back.

“Please…” it was mostly a whisper, it Andy hadn’t been watching the omega’s face he would’ve missed it.

Slowly Andy started pushing in, eyes never leaving Joe’s. 

Once he was all the way in he stilled, cursing under his breath at the strain.

Joe had his head back now, mouth open, his breathing a bit more shallow now.

Andy leaned down over Joe and connected their lips. Joe responded immediately, wrapping his arms around the alpha’s neck and rolling his hips.

Andy moaned, and tried his best to control himself.

“M-mmove…”

Joe never thought he would be in this situation. In bed with an alpha, willingly, about to be mated, and actually begging them to fuck him. But Andy was different. With Andy he felt safe. He WANTED Andy. 

The alpha obeyed and started thrusting in and out. His initial plan was to take things slow but the sounds Joe was making and the way he pushed his hips down to meet his thrusts made him realize that Joe was just fine.

He picked up his speed and moved faster, deeper, harder, and from the sounds of the moans whimpers he was getting he was doing a good job.

He reached between them and started stroking Joe again. Mating was usually a bit painful for the omega, not the sex and knotting, but the bite.

To actually mate and get the bond between them to form and solidify Andy had to bite Joe’s mating gland hard enough to break the skin.

He could feel himself getting close so he looked back at Joe, eyes silently asking permission. He hoped the omega hadn’t changed his mind but if he had he would still pull out and not mate. It would suck but he would never do anything to his boyfriend against his will.

Joe caught his gaze and smiled. He leaned up and pecked his lips, then nodded his head lightly as he pulled Andy down further so their faces were hidden in each other’s necks. 

The scent of the omega in heat was enough to drive Andy over the edge. He let his instincts take over and bit down on Joe’s mating gland as he came inside the omega, his knot tying them together.

The bite was enough to break the skin and complete the mating bond. 

He didn’t release his jaw until he felt the bond click into place. He could tell the omega felt it too. He could feel everything the omega was feeling. He felt so happy and... calm.

Andy breathed a sigh of relief and pulled back to look at Joe but when he saw his neck he stopped and immediately started licking at the wound. 

His knot was still full inside the omega, and probably would be for a while.

After a moment the bite had stopped bleeding and was starting to heal over from the alpha’s saliva. 

He propped himself up on his elbows and finally looked at Joe, the omega was staring at him, his eyes were clearer, more focused. 

“You okay?”

The omega’s smile only grew wider as he said, “I’m amazing.”

 

End flashback…

 

Joe hadn’t realized that he’d zoned out once more until he heard Patrick ask about pain again. 

“When your body wants to bond, its instincts take over, preparing for the pain so that it can lessen it, and usually both people are in such blissed-out state of minds that they don’t feel much pain.” Andy was speaking softly, as if he were afraid of spooking Patrick.

“The slick during your heat is a natural lube but its also good to use regular lube too.”

“There was…slick in my first heat when I was thirteen, but…I don’t remember it being there for the other times.” Patrick said slowly. 

Pete clenched his jaw, “That’s because what you’ve had since then weren’t real heats. They were drug induced, not the natural state of your body so your instincts didn’t try to produce slick to help you.”

Pete’s voice was clipped, hard and they could all hear the anger in his voice. Andy sat up a little straighter, ready to calm his friend down, but Patrick beat him to it.

He could tell how angry Pete felt, so he climbed into the alpha’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck. The movement surprised Pete, but he put his arms around Patrick and hugged him close. All the tension seemed to have gone, Pete wasn’t so angry, now he was staring into blue eyes of the person perched on his lap and he couldn’t look away. 

“That’s over now. Petey, are you sure you’re gonna be okay seeing me in heat?” Patrick only asked again because he could tell that thinking about his heat was making Pete tense, despite the alpha trying to hide it.

“I won’t let you get hurt.” Pete looked worried, that maybe Patrick was going to tell him not to be there during his heat. 

“I know you won’t hurt me like that.”

“You never should’ve been hurt like that.”

“I want you to be there for it, but only as long as you’re not uncomfortable.”

Pete wanted to laugh, his own comfort was the last thing he was worried about with Patrick’s heat, but knowing that the omega was worried about HIM instead of himself was making his heart twist in a funny way.

“I want to be by your side, through everything. But if it starts and you feel uncomfortable with having an alpha around tell me and Joe can look after you instead.”

“We’ll check in with you guys a lot. Bring you food and stuff.” Joe added. He could tell Patrick already made up his mind about having Pete with him. It was hard to miss with the way he was leaning into Pete’s arms.

It got him thinking again, about his own relationship. He wonders if him and Andy look as in love as their friends when they look at each other.

He zoned out and started pulling at a string on the sheets below them.

 

Andy had noticed the way Joe had been zoning out lately, but usually when he did that it was because he was remembering something. They weren’t always good memories.

As long as the omega felt happy through their bond he was fine with it. 

Andy reached down and ran his hand through the omega’s hair. Joe pushed his head up against Andy’s hand, silently asking for more.

The alpha chuckled lightly and continued his ministrations. 

Joe turned his head to look up at Andy from his lap, “Hey handsome.”

“Hey yourself.” Andy’s voice was soft like usual but he had gentle, loving tone, that he reserved just for Joe.

“I love you.” Joe murmured. 

Andy didn’t hesitate to say “I love you” back but he continued to stare at Joe, wondering what made him so spacey today.

As if Joe could read his mind he smiled and said, “Remember when we mated?”

Andy returned the smile and nodded softly.

“It was perfect.” 

Andy felt a surge of pride through his chest.

“Would you do it again?"

"Without hesitation."


	55. If I Can Live Through This, I Can Do Anything

Little bit of a time skip…

 

Today is the day Patricia and Kevin and Ben were leaving. 

Pete felt a little bit guilty to be so happy about it but, Patrick’s mom had not exactly made things easy. They still hadn’t made up or come to an understanding. Even though Patrick said he’s okay with it, Pete can tell he’s still not entirely happy with how they are parting ways.

Pete and Patrick are going to the airport later with them to say goodbye. It’s bound to be an awkward car ride but for Patrick he would put on a brave face. 

The omega seemed oddly calm since Ben called this morning to say they were leaving.

When Pete told him the news, Patrick actually looked a bit relieved. 

They had just gotten to the hotel that his mom and brothers were staying at when Pete asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

Patrick was quiet for a moment, “Yeah. I mean, with them back in Illinois she can’t interfere or anything. But, reuniting was…well it wasn’t what I was expecting. Things aren’t the same as we were before. She’s different. So am I. I’m not thirteen anymore, but I think she still sees me that way, like she doesn’t acknowledge what happened yet.”

Pete stayed silent; Patrick didn’t need him to say he agreed. He didn’t need him to give advice. From the tone of his voice the omega just needed someone to listen. Something he knows is hard to come by for omegas.

“I’ll miss having my brother’s close though.” Patrick added, almost as if he was afraid to say it out loud.

“We’ll go visit them sometime. If you want.”

“I’d like that. But…not for a while. I think I need some distance. From my old life. I don’t even know much about who I am now. I don’t need to be worried about playing the part of my old self just because my family is close by. Besides, Gee and Bren seem more comfortable with me as I am now than my brothers or mother were.”

Pete contemplated what he said, Patrick must be confused enough as it is. He hadn’t thought about how odd it must feel to literally restart your life. He made a mental note to do anything he could to help his boyfriend adjust. Even if it was as simple as listening.

They got off the elevator and walked in comfortable silence to the room his brothers had rented.

When Patrick didn’t move to knock Pete did. Using his other hand to rub Patrick’s lower back.

Patrick let out a breath and looked up when the door swung open.

“Come in.” Ben offered, stepping to the side for them to step inside.

“Make yourselves comfortable, Kev just went to grab some food.”

“Where is she?” Patrick asked, his voice a tone that Pete had yet to hear.

“In the bedroom. She…she hasn’t said anything since…well ya know.”

“I’m want to talk to her again.”

“You sure?” Ben looked nervous.

“Leave the door open. I trust you, I just don’t want her to have a chance to hurt you.” Pete was adamant about that. He would not, absolutely not allow his future mate to be knowingly in danger.

Patrick nodded, “I’m sure.”

He opened the door, leaving it completely open like Pete had requested. 

Patricia was sitting in a chair by the window. In an ordinary situation one would think she were admiring the view, but Patrick could see the glazed over look in her eyes that told him she wasn’t really focusing on anything in particular. 

“Mother,” She didn’t look over, or make any move to show that she had even heard him. Patrick sighed, “You don’t need to talk, but you have to listen.”

He paused waiting for a sign, when none came he stepped closer and started anyway, “I’ve always loved you. Always. When I was little you were my hero because you were so different from dad and his views. You taught me to see the world in a different way. When I presented as an omega, I was scared. But that first heat, you took care of me. You made sure I was staying hydrated and eating properly and safe. I’m thankful for that.”

Patrick swallowed hard, this is more difficult than he thought. 

“When I was sold to that man, I was scared. But I kept worrying about what you would think when you got home. I thought he might hurt you for taking care of me. Or that you would fight him and he would kill you or…The entire time I was kept in his basement I always wondered what you were doing, what Kev and Ben were doing. I didn’t know if you guys were still alive. I used to daydream about being reunited with you all. A lot happened to me in the last six years. Neither you or me are the same as we were. I don’t want to be the same as I was. I am so much happier now.” Patrick had a few tears now.

“When Pete rescued me, I got another chance at life. He isn’t a bad person. I don’t know why you don’t trust him. Or why you don’t believe me. But this is what I want. I want him. I’m sorry if that hurts you. But you’ve hurt me since you came out here. I can’t change that.”

Patrick wiped at his eyes, refusing to stop now, he had to get this out before they had to go, it couldn’t wait.

“I’m glad that you’re going back to Chicago. It’ll be better for both of us. I can’t heal and move on if you won’t let me. And, Pete, he isn’t gonna give in to whatever twisted things you keep wanting him to do. You know that chipping me would be painful, yet you push him to do it? Why? Was that something you really wanted or was it just another test to get him to hurt me so I’d want to go with you?”

She actually flinched at that. The first sign she was aware of what he was saying.

“He will never hurt me, mother. And he won’t sell me to anybody. He isn’t like my father. I’m sorry you can’t see that. I love you both, but if you make me chose between you…I’ll chose him. Every time.”

Patrick was shaking as he finished talking. She hadn’t said anything, or even moved from where she was sitting and staring.

He walked back out of the room to see Pete and his brothers staring at him with wide eyes. At some point Kevin must’ve gotten back, he was standing in the middle of the room holding a bag of doughnuts.

“Trick?” Pete asked, carefully moving closer to his boyfriend.

With the door open they had heard everything Patrick said, even if they weren’t trying to listen.

“I’m okay. I just…needed to get it out.” Patrick stepped into Pete’s arms and buried his face in his alpha’s neck.

 

About an hour later it was time to head to the airport. 

Patricia still said nothing as she sat in the front passenger seat next to Ben. Patrick, Pete and Kevin all climbed into the back seat. The omega sandwiched between them. 

For a while it was silence. 

A tense silence that made Pete’s skin crawl. He held Patrick’s hand on his lap and tried to focus on anything other than the silence. It didn’t work, everything was too tense. The soft sound of a radio station coming through the speakers was ignored.

 

They walked all the way to security before they said goodbye.

Ben and Kevin each pulled their baby brother in for a hug. Promising to text and call every day. Patrick relaxed into their arms, the first time he felt truly calm in the past few hours.

They stopped to look over at their mother, she wasn’t looking at any of them, just staring blankly at the floor in front of her.

Ben ruffled his hair one last time and turned to Pete, “Take good care of him.”

“Promise.” Pete never felt so sure about making a promise before. 

Just like that they walked through the security check point and turned to wave.

Patrick smiled and waved back. When they were out of sight, he let out a breath he hadn’t know he was holding in and dropped his head onto Pete’s shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Better now. Take me home?”

Pete took Patrick’s hand and led him through the airport back to their car. Glaring at any alpha stranger who dared to look at Patrick. The omega giggled every time. 

Finding Pete’s protective behavior cute and entertaining. He was beyond thankful to Pete for being protective and he’d be lying if he said that it didn’t turn him on a bit to see his boyfriend get a bit protective. He knew Pete could be intimidating, and a lot of people saw him as a threat, but Pete was such a sweetheart to Patrick that he found it kind of reminiscent of a kitten trying to roar.

 

Time skip...

Dr. Woods had called to follow up with Patrick about getting suppressants, there was an opening for an appointment to be examined today at 3pm.

Pete knew they had talked about it but he didn’t realized it would happen so soon.

“Trick you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I can call him back and say no if you want.”

“No…that’s okay. Better to do it before I go into heat. That way I can get the suppressants sooner rather than risk having more heats than necessary.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“Just, stay with me.”

“I won’t leave your side.”

 

Sitting in the waiting room of the hospital was anything but comfortable. There were other patients there that kept looking over at Patrick. 

Pete had his arm around him but it did little to actually calm the situation. 

There were a few alphas that had moved to another section of the waiting room when Pete stared them down for looking at Patrick. 

The omega’s in the room were either sitting in a chair like Patrick or kneeling next to an alpha’s legs with their head bowed. The few beta’s in the room were trying to keep to themselves, not willing to chance a conversation with an alpha or omega for fear of an alpha’s rage.

A beta nurse came to the doorway, “Patrick?”

Pete stood up and moved his hand to the lower part of Patrick’s back and guided him along.

When they got closer Pete realized that he knew this nurse.

She had been trying for years to get him to go out with her. He agreed to dinner once, and it led to a one night stand but he was never interested in her. She was too stuck up, she didn’t even support omega rights, she actually got mad at him for coming into the hospital one day with Joe’s scent on him. Saying, he “shouldn’t let omegas get so close and he wouldn’t smell like one”. When he rejected her, she did not take it well.

They got to an examination room, where the nurse simply said, “Remove your clothes and sit on the table.” Her voice was harsh and maybe even a bit mean.

Patrick didn’t question her tone, he was used to people speaking to him like that, but he was a bit uncomfortable with stripping his clothes off.

Patrick hesitated, looking at Pete, who nodded slowly. He wasn’t so sure about this.

It was still Patrick’s decision. He knew he could back out at anytime and go home, but he wanted suppressants.

Once Patrick was sitting on the table, totally nude, using his hands to cover himself the best he could the nurse spoke up again, “What is he in for today?” She addressed Pete, not even looking in Patrick’s direction. Her voice was dripping with resentment for Patrick that had no purpose. Patrick hadn’t done anything to earn her cold shoulder.

“To get put on suppressants.” Pete’s tone was clipped, he stared her down more but she seemed unphased by him. Probably used to alpha’s snapping tones.

“Does he have an alpha?” Her voice feigned innocence.

“Me.” Pete all but growled. 

The nurse hesitated a moment, looking at Patrick, well, actually it was more of a glare. “I see. Are you also the owner?”

“Yes.” Pete’s jaw was clenched tight as he watched her take down notes.

She just hummed and got up to take Patrick’s blood pressure and check his reflexes. She had been rougher than necessary, but Patrick didn’t seem to notice. 

When she got out a small light to look in his eyes, she grabbed his chin harshly and jerked his head over, Patrick whimpered but didn’t say anything.

It was Pete who stopped it. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing until she let go of Patrick’s face, “Don’t, even think about it.” His voice was completely infused with his alpha thrum.

It worked. She dropped her gaze and released a submissive scent into the air.

“Yes sir.” The nurse spoke quietly as averted her eyes to the floor and went back to her tests, this time not touching Patrick at all.

“The doctor will be right in to examine him.” She kept her gaze down and walked out of the room.

Once the door was shut Pete put his own hands under Patrick’s jaw, using his thumb to stroke his cheek, “I’m sorry she did that.”

“You don’t need to apologize, it’s not your fault.”

“She should be more professional than that if she’s gonna work in an omega friendly hospital.”

“It’s still not your fault.”

Pete didn’t want to say how he knew the nurse, so he didn’t add any more.

The alpha rested a hand on Patrick’s thigh. In another time and place Patrick would be embarrassed and scared that an alpha’s hand was so close to his dick, but this was Pete.

Pete had already seen him naked. And the way he was touching his leg wasn’t sexual. More territorial than anything.

Pete stood in front of Patrick and let the omega press his face into his chest.

A moment later the door opened, and Pete turned towards the door. Patrick looked up but the he realized that the doctor was an alpha woman, something Patrick had not expected. He figured it would be a beta doctor but here she was.

His fear of the other alpha made him almost forget that he wasn’t wearing any clothes. He stepped down from the table and slid behind Pete, peeking around the alpha’s shoulder like a kid playing hide and seek.

The doctor smiled at the movement and turned her attention to Pete.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Roberts, you must be Pete. Dr. Woods gave me Patrick’s file when he mentioned that he might be coming in for suppressants. Said he had an OSR volunteer with him since he was brought in.”

It was Pete’s turn to be surprised.

“Yeah, I got pretty attached to him pretty fast. Now he’s stuck with me.” Pete joked as he ruffled Patrick’s hair.

“Well, nice to finally meet you, it looks like you’re doing a pretty good job with him. Is it alright if I ask him some questions?”

“Trick?” Pete asked over his shoulder, he would answer everything if Patrick wanted him to.

Slowly Patrick stepped to the side of Pete. He was still staring at the floor, keeping his gaze averted with every ounce of self-control he had.

“okay.” His voice was small and fragile. Pete didn’t like it.

“Dr. Woods tells me that your last real heat was when you were 13?” She spoke calmly, ever so gently that for a moment Patrick wondered if she really was an alpha or if she just smelled like one.

Patrick looked up to Pete in surprise, this doctor was actually speaking to him now. When Pete nodded at him again Patrick did too. Not trusting his voice quite yet.

“And the rest were drug induced?”

Another nod. 

Questions continued like that for a few minutes.

Patrick didn’t actually notice when he relaxed. The alphas in the room did because his scent had changed quite a bit from riddled with fear to calm and curious.

Patrick was sitting on the table again, Pete right at his side, with one hand tracing up and down his spine.

“Will you be staying for the exam?” She was asking Pete.

“Yes.” Pete’s voice got a bit deeper, more defensive.

“It’s not a problem. I actually prefer it that way for nervous omegas.” She smiled gently at him.

“Alright, lay back and we’ll see how you’re doing.” The doctor pulled on some latex gloves and waited for Patrick to comply.

At first he didn’t move, looking to Pete for direction again. He might’ve been able to trust Pete, Andy and their friends relatively fast but this was a complete stranger who had no reason to be nice to him. 

This was the first time since he’d been with Pete that another alpha was giving him orders. He didn’t feel right about obeying an alpha other than his boyfriend.

“It’s okay Trick.” Pete smiled reassuringly and put his hand on Patrick’s leg again.

Patrick nodded and laid back.

“Alright, this might feel a bit cold.” The doctor was placing an ultrasound machine on his lower stomach and moving it around in circles.

“Well, the good news is that your glands seem to be intact and your internal injuries have healed.”

“The bad news?” Patrick asked, then covered his mouth and mumbled a “sorry”. He didn’t know if he could speak freely with this doctor.

She just smiled at him, “The bad news it that we have to extract a bit of fluid from your heat gland and usually it hurts a bit. It is very routine and we do it with every omega about to go on suppressants but it does hurt.”

Patrick nodded, relaxing because he knew pain, and he didn’t think this would be as bad as some of the other things he had been through.

“Will the pain last very long?” Pete asked, he seemed to be more concerned than Patrick was.

“Just as long as it takes to extract. Afterwards there might be some soreness, but it should fade within a few hours. We try to discourage any sexual activity for the rest of the day. Any other intrusions will be very painful for him.”

She sounded like she was desperately trying to convey that it would be a bad idea for him to have sex. It was difficult having this conversation. Most alpha’s who brought their omega’s in for suppressants were nicer than the average alpha. But a lot of them still treated their omegas like property. Property that they could use anytime and anyway they want.

“Actually, we haven’t had sex yet.” Pete replied.

The shock on her face was something else, she looked at Patrick who was blushing at this point, looking everywhere except at the alphas in the room.

Pete smiled at her gently, “Until he is 100% sure that he’s ready we’re not doing anything.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Congratulations Patrick. Sounds like you’ve caught a good one.”

The omega still blushed but finally looked back at Pete and smiled.

 

“Now, the not so fun part, we need to get a sample of your heat glands to see what kind of suppressants might be best for you.”

“How do we do that?” Pete asked, he was a little more scared now.

“Well,” she turned her attention to Patrick, “all you need to do is lay still and try not to squirm too much at the pain. I’m going to use a syringe to extract some fluid.”

“Okay.” He sounded unsure, but there was no way in hell that this could be worse than a heat.

“Alright, pull your knees up to your chest,” She instructed calmly, she and Pete could both smell the fear coming off the omega.

Normally omegas were held down by their alpha’s or restrained in some way. Though she never had a problem doing this without restraints. Some alphas brought their omega’s in already restrained.

Patrick looked to Pete once more, the alpha wasn’t looking away from his eyes, “I’m right here baby, hold my hand. You can squeeze when it hurts.”

Slowly Patrick lifted his legs and used one hand to hold his knees and the other to grab at Pete’s hand.

An omega’s heat gland is directly below their prostate. 

He felt awkward, over exposed and vulnerable like this, but Pete wasn’t wavering, he was just staring back at him and running his fingers over Patrick’s hand.

“Alright, stay still now,” the doctor instructed.

A pinch is all he felt at first, then when the syringe started to actually remove the fluid, he felt it. 

Pain. But it wasn’t as bad as many other things.

It felt like a sharp poke with a hot iron. He squeezed on Pete’s hand a bit and shut his eyes tight. He didn’t make any noise but was trying his best to stay still, every instinct telling him to pull away.

Then he felt Pete’s lips on his own. For a moment he didn’t feel the pain. Too distracted by the alpha’s tongue in his mouth to care.

He let out a moan and squeezed Pete’s hand for a different reason.

It wasn’t until the doctor cleared her throat that they broke apart.

Patrick looked embarrassed but Pete just looked smug, a smirk playing on his lips like he knew exactly what he was doing.

The doctor shook her head but smiled and said, “Stay very still, I’m going to take the needle out.”

Patrick was as still as he could be. Squeezing Pete’s hand again.

“All done. You can put your clothes back on sweetie. Pete, may I speak to you in the hall?”

Pete stepped out of the room, glancing back at Patrick to see if he was ok with being left alone in there. The omega didn’t seem phased. He just started pulling his clothes on, a look of relief spread on his face.

Seeing the concern on Pete’s face the doctor said, “Don’t worry, I just wanted to check in and give him some privacy.”

“I’m sure he appreciates it.”

“Are you planning to mate with him during this heat?”

“Um, I’m honestly not sure. If it comes sooner rather than later than probably not. I don’t think he’s ready for that yet. But if his heat doesn’t come for awhile than things might be different by then.”

“That’s good to hear. Has he experienced any form of PTSD from his trauma?”

“No actually. I mean he’s still learning that not every alpha will hurt him. So, he’s pretty shy but, I think he would have a shy personality regardless of his past.”

“Are there any other omegas that he can talk to? It might help him acclimate to his new life.”

Pete knows that some alphas don’t like their omegas communicating with others because they think they’ll form some kind of uprising. This is ridiculous. Omegas are the most gentle and docile version of humans ever created. If they’re treated right then they wouldn’t even consider anything like that.

“Yeah, a few actually. My alpha Andy has an omega. We all live together. A while ago two other omegas and their alphas came to stay with us. They’re actually friends of Patrick’s from his childhood.”

Dr. Roberts smiled wide, “Well, it seems he is in good hands then. I won’t need to see you two again until three days after his next heat ends. We’ll do some bloodwork to make sure his body can support the suppressants and if it comes back fine, you’ll be given a prescription.”

“Thank you.” 

The alphas stepped back into the room, Patrick was sitting in the same spot on the table but he was fully dressed now.

“Ready baby?”

Patrick was up in an instant, grabbing Pete’s hand and stepping behind him.

“It was nice meeting you Patrick.” Dr. Roberts tilted her head to see around Pete’s shoulder.

“You too.” Patrick said, just barely above a whisper.

“It’s okay Patrick, she won’t hurt you.” Pete tried, he couldn’t figure out why Patrick was hiding now. The doctor had already examined him, and she was gentle about it.

“I know. But that nurse might be out there when we leave.” Patrick mumbled into Pete’s shoulder.

“Nurse?” Dr. Roberts questioned.

“The nurse than brought us back here was rough at first. I snapped at her and she stopped but—”

“What’s her name?” Dr. Roberts demanded. This is the first time since entering the room that she sounded like an alpha.

“Emma Taylor.” Pete supplied, earning a surprised look from Patrick.

“I’ll take care of it. I apologize for her behavior; it won’t happen next time.”

“Thank you.” Pete shook her hand and started to lead Patrick out of the hospital.

Patrick walked along with Pete, not looking up from the alphas hand holding his once. 

How did he know that nurses name?

Pete noticed the omegas tension still hadn’t left even once they were in the car.

“Trick? You okay?” For a moment he thought maybe he was sore and that was making him so uncomfortable.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, anything.”

“How do you know that nurse?”

Pete sighed, so much for not bringing it up, “A couple years ago she invited me to dinner and we had a one night stand. After I showered and left I went home and Joe was sick. I cuddled with him for awhile. I went to the hospital later to help with a new case and I ran into her in the hall. She got mad because I smelled like an omega and not her. She isn’t supportive of omega rights. I could just never get to liking her. When I told her I wasn’t interested she became ever more of a bitch than she was. I am sorry for how she treated you, it was probably because of me.”

Patrick nodded, “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It does bug me bit that you slept with such a cunt but…” Patrick was only teasing now, he didn’t really care that Pete slept with her. After all, Patrick’s the one that gets to keep him.

Pete chuckled, “Yeah yeah. Alright, my taste in guys is obviously better than my taste in girls.”

 

It was a comfortable silence for a few miles before Pete spoke up again, “Are you sure you’re ready for a heat?”

“It’ll suck. But, it won’t be as bad as the heats I’ve had in the past. At least this one will be real. And I trust you. I know you’ll help me however you can.”

“You haven’t had one in a while; it’s bound to be painful.”

“Yeah but, if I can live through this, I can do anything.”


	56. I Value Your Opinion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fixing some typos throughout the story, so if anybody is getting random updates thats why.

The next week was one of the most peaceful weeks that Patrick could remember.

Everyone was calm.

They even had a couple of nights where him, Brendon, Joe, and Gerard got to have sleepovers and stay up til the sunrise talking.

All the alphas in the apartment had calmed down quite a bit once Patricia left. They didn’t say so but the relief that flooded the air once Pete told them was enough to know.

Things were looking up, they were going to make their pack official with the expansion of their friends. Something that everybody was excited for. 

Of course, this would mean finding a house that they could all live in comfortably. Not that anybody was complaining about the apartment, but it wasn’t exactly large enough to have a lot of privacy. For anyone. Only Frank and Gerard didn’t seem to care that everybody else could hear them having sex.

It could wait for now though. With everything that has happened, they needed some time to breath.

Patrick was even calm. Something that both confused and relieved Pete. He figured the omega would be panicking about when his heat was coming but Patrick didn’t seem to be worried at all. 

It made him wonder if heats were something that omegas could feel coming or if they just kind of hit them one day. He knew a lot about omegas. A lot. But for some reason this was something that he never thought of.

He was going to ask but Patrick seemed too calm. Bringing it up might make him worry. That’s the last thing Pete wants.

Having three other omegas in the house meant that he could ask any of them the same question.

That’s how he found himself next to Joe on the porch. The omega was reading a book, not really paying attention to anything else. He didn’t even notice Pete’s presence until the alpha cleared his throat.

“Oh, sorry, Petey. I was distracted.”

“Don’t apologize, I don’t actually want to interrupt you but I have a question about omega stuff and I was hoping you could help?” Pete phrased it like a question, giving Joe a way out if he wanted. Because rule number one of the house still stands.

“Ask anything?”

“Do heats…I mean, can an omega feel them coming or is it a surprise?”

Joe could hear the worry in Pete’s voice, “We can feel them coming. For a few days before we feel a bit feverish, cramps, um, on edge. We want to be close to an alpha. We ask to be scented a lot.”

Pete suddenly remembered Joe’s last heat and the days leading up to it. It was hard.

 

Flashback…

The days leading up to Joe’s heat were always intense. 

Before Andy found him, it was even worse. He would have already gathered supplies and food for as many days as he could. Then found someplace deep in the woods to hide until it was over.

The only problem is that when an omega gets the signs that a heat is coming their body seeks out the touch, the safety of an alpha. 

Before Andy he didn’t have an alpha he trusted. He didn’t actually have anybody.

So for three days before his heat came he felt that feverish feeling creep over him. This was the first heat he would ever spend with Andy. He knew that he was safe, but he was desperate to hide like old times.

Andy was at work early today, the only person in the apartment was Pete. Even though Joe knew that Pete wouldn’t hurt him, he still didn’t know him very well yet. He had cuddled with him a few times, even fallen asleep with Pete on the couch, but this was different. This was his heat.

So he stayed in his and Andy’s bedroom, and made a nest type structure and curled up.

That was how Pete found him. He had made Joe breakfast and when he knocked on the door he didn’t hear an answer so he cracked it open a bit to see if he was still sleeping.

He wasn’t, he was squirming around on the bed with walls of pillows and blankets and some of Andy’s clothes around him. Pete knew it was something that omegas did from time to time, nesting. It made them feel safe and comfortable. What he didn’t know was that this was a sign of Joe’s heat.

“Joe?” Pete tried, the omega stopped moving and looked over his shoulder at the alpha.

He wasn’t in heat yet. So he could still think mostly clear. Clear enough to talk. “Hi Pete.” His voice was small, fearful.

“Hungry?” Pete chose to ignore the nesting in favor of getting the omega to eat. Since he came to live with them, the omega had only eaten when Andy had given him something. He wanted Joe to trust him too.

Joe thought for a moment, he really should eat. His heat was coming which meant he would have trouble focusing on eating for at least a week.

Joe nodded and sat up a bit, as Pete made his way into the room. When Pete got closer the scent of an alpha went right through Joe. When Pete leaned over to put the plate of food down, Joe pressed his face into the alpha’s neck.

The alpha stilled, not sure what the omega was doing until he realized how hot Joe’s face felt against his skin.

“Joe? You okay?” Pete pulled back and placed his hand on Joe’s forehead. “You’re burnin up.”

Joe decided that being honest with Pete would at least maybe make him call Andy, “It’s because my heat is almost here.”

Pete nodded slowly, he knew a little about heats. He had started volunteering with OSR about six months ago and had learned quite a bit. But heats, he was still new to those. 

Andy on the other hand had quite a bit of experience with omegas during their heats. Because of his calm demeanor and self control the OSR had asked him to stay with a few omega rescues during their heats. He could be trusted unlike most others.

“I’ll go call Andy?” Pete started to back out of the room, but Joe climbed out of bed after him.

“Joe, you should stay in bed.”

“I need to be close to you.” Joe reasoned. He wanted Andy. But Andy wasn’t here yet so Pete would have to do until then.

Pete had sat down on the couch and grabbed the phone, punching in the number for the store. Joe was sitting pressed up against his side.

As the phone rang Pete could feel the omega’s body heat increasing by the second. It must be uncomfortable. He reached out and wrapped an arm over the omega, pulling him closer. Hoping that his scent would be soothing and not make him panic.

Mrs. Redding answered, “Redding Records how can I help you?”

“Hi, Mrs. Redding its Pete. Is Andy there?”

“He’s with a customer, do you want to leave a message?”

“Uh, tell him to come home. It’s an emergency, Joe is going into heat.”

“Oh my…I’ll tell him right away.”

“Thank you.” But she had already hung up.

Joe was sitting mostly on Pete’s lap. He looked like a little kid that ran to their parents when they got sick. Pete stroked his back and hugged him close. He even left a few kisses on his shoulder and forehead. 

It was Joe that started scenting Pete. He was going to stop him but he didn’t have the heart to push the omega away. Instead he tilted his head to the side and let Joe continue his ministrations. Pete noticed something change in Joe’s scent. His heat was much closer than anticipated.

Pete picked him up and walked back to Andy’s room. One thing he did know was that eating and drinking were vital during a heat.

He sat Joe on the bed and picked up the plate of food again. It was still warm because it was freshly made and hot when Pete first brought it in.

“Joe, you need to eat something.”

“Not hungry.” Joe mumbled from his place in Pete’s neck.

Pete was ready to give up and let Andy deal with it, but they agreed to help Joe together. Andy said it would be good for Pete to learn how to take care of an omega in need without losing self control. He got an idea, a way to make Joe eat something.

Slowly, Pete turned his face to press it into the side of Joe’s neck and started scenting him. He only went for a few seconds before pulling back and earning a whine from the omega.

“Petey…please?”

“I’ll scent you all you want if you eat something for me.” Pete knew this offer would be hard to pass up. Joe was already clawing at Pete’s shirt and hair.

“F-fine.” Joe nudged his head under Pete’s chin and opened his mouth. “Feed me?”

Pete chuckled but obeyed, picking up a piece of toast and feeding it to Joe. For a few moments this continued, each bite earning Joe praise and kisses or sniffs over his scent gland.

When it was all gone, Pete picked up a glass of juice and held it up to Joe’s face.

“Not thirsty.”

“You will be, you need to keep your strength up.” Pete tried again.

The look on the alpha’s face was enough to make Joe comply. 

He drank the whole thing then heard a “Good boy.” Coming from the door.

Andy.

Andy was here finally. The relief coming from both Joe and Pete made Andy chuckle and ruffle their heads.

“Everything okay so far?” Andy asked.

“So far.” Pete sounded relieved that Andy was here. He didn’t like doing new things without him.

“Pete promised to scent me if I ate.” Joe said more towards Pete. He was still waiting for the alpha to scent him.

“Well than he better get on that.” Andy said smirking at Pete. “You do that, I’ll change my clothes and then we’ll both scent you.”

 

End flashback…

 

Joe was sitting in Pete’s lap, his back pressed against the alpha’s chest. “You okay? You zoned out on me there.” Joe looked over his shoulder at him.

Pete just nosed at Joe’s neck and mumbled, “Yeah, sorry. Just thinking.”

“Patrick will be alright.”

“What if he doesn’t get a warning about his heat though?”

“Then you and Andy will take care of him the same way you took care of me.”

Pete really was thankful for Joe. He put his arms around the omega’s middle and squeezed him close.

 

Patrick was walking past the window when he saw Pete and Joe cuddling on the porch. He smiled at the thought. Joe was one of his best friends. Having his best friends be close with his future alpha made him happy. Even though they were close before he ever came along. It made him realize how much he wanted to be close to Andy. They’re going to be a pack he really should get to know his packs alpha better.

Patrick found Andy sitting on the couch reading. He hesitated a moment before he sat down. He knew Andy would probably be fine with Patrick being close to him, but this was still something he hadn’t done before. The only other alpha he had cuddled with was Pete. 

He took a deep breath and stepped further into the room, walking around the couch until he got next to Andy. The alpha didn’t look up so Patrick just sat down next to him. Not wanting to make things too awkward by standing too long.

Andy glanced over once and returned his attention to his book, “Hey Trick.”

“Hi.” Patrick moved closer to Andy, until their sides were touching.

Andy didn’t hesitate, he moved his arm behind Patrick’s back and pulled him closer. For a moment Patrick was still, pressed up against Andy’s side, then he smelled the calming scent coming from the alpha. It was so relaxing, so peaceful. 

Patrick dropped his head on Andy’s shoulder and let the alpha run his fingers through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp.

This was okay. He was more comfortable than he though he would be. 

And Andy didn’t seem to mind at all. It only took a few moments for Patrick to completely relax and slump into Andy’s side.

 

Within an hour Andy looked down to see that Patrick was sound asleep against him.

Smiling he leaned down and kissed his hair. A platonic move on his part, for a moment he thought maybe Patrick would be uncomfortable with it, but Patrick had come a long way since they first met. 

 

“He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep.” Brendon whispered when he came into the room.

Andy looked up at him, “Yeah. Too bad he has to be asleep to feel it though. He’s got to be exhausted with everything that’s happened.”

“He was always like that. When we were kids he was stressed out too. Different stressers but he still carried it the same.”

“What was he like as kid?” Andy was almost afraid to ask, but he was desperate to get to know the omega.

“Sweet. The nicest kid you could imagine. He was pretty anxious too. His parents…well…he never had a perfect relationship with either of them. But for the most part he was a happy. Despite everything he always found a reason to be happy. Kinda the opposite of Gerard.”

 

Flashback…

1994

Brendon and Gerard were sitting in their treehouse waiting for Patrick to show up. It was the first day of summer vacation and they planned to spend as much time as possible together before they had to go back to school.

They started to get a bit nervous when Patrick was over twenty minutes late. He was usually punctual unless there was a problem getting out of the house.

“Should we go look for him?”

“Give him a few more minutes.” Gerard was always trying to think of the best solution. He didn’t like the idea of something bad happening to Patrick, it made him sick. 

Ten minutes later Patrick was walking through the woods towards the tree house. Brendon looked out the window and cringed. Patrick had a black eye and was holding his wrist.

“He’s hurt again.”

“His father should be killed.”

“You fixin to do it?”

“If I have to.”

 

“Hey guys.” Patrick said as he started climbing up.

“Hey Trick.”

“You okay?”

“I’ve had worse.”

True, they had seen Patrick show up with bruises and cuts, and sometimes he didn’t show up at all. Alpha Stump was never nice to anyone, but he seemed to have it out for his kids. He even made them fight each other a few times.

“Why don’t you just stay with me?” Gerard asked exasperatedly. He had begged Patrick to move in with him, since he met him he had begged him to move in with him. His parents were kinda different to everyone else. They didn’t belong to a big pack, they didn’t support abuse of omegas. They were different.

“Because he’ll find me. Then you might get hurt too. I’m not gonna be the reason you get hurt.”

“But—”

“No.”

“Fine. What happened?”

“I…” Patrick sighed, “…he overheard me telling Ben that I didn’t want to be part of the family business.”

“And this was his reaction?” Gerard asked, though it was more of a statement. 

He reached up to lightly turn Patrick's face to get a better look.

“He said I needed to learn my place because when I present my training starts like it did for my brothers.”

“Hard to imagine them doing what your father does.”

“They don’t want to. Ben said that when he’s eighteen he’s gonna take me and Kev and mom away from here.”

Brendon and Gerard shared a look.

“It would be best for you, but…we’ll miss you around here.”

“It’s a long time from now. Maybe we’ll figure something else out. I don’t want to leave you guys.”

Patrick sounded so fragile. 

It was quiet for a moment. Too quiet.

“Alright, alright, lets focus on something else.” Brendon tried.

“Thank you.”

“So, we all present next year. Did you hear the school’s policy on omegas?”

“Yeah. I could never imagine hurting an omega.”

“Me neither. My father does though. He doesn’t allow them in the pack. Only as property.”

“I think I might be an omega…my family probably won’t accept me…” Brendon admitted. 

“I don’t know what I’ll be. But if I present as an omega I don’t think my parents would care. You could live with me. You BOTH could.” Gerard tried again.

“I just don’t want to be an alpha. I don’t think I could handle that.” Patrick sounded nervous.

“What do you mean?”

“I wouldn’t be able to control and hurt people like that. I wouldn’t want to. It’s wrong. Too much pressure.”

“Not all alphas are mean Trick. Your brothers aren’t.”

“Not yet. If my father keeps “training” them then they might be.”

“I don’t think so. They’re too nice.”

“Maybe.”

 

End flashback…

 

“We should’ve seen it coming. Patrick presenting as an omega.” Brendon mumbled.

Andy knew that tone, that look. He’d seen it too often with Pete, “This isn’t your fault. Or Gerard’s. Or Patrick’s.”

“I would never blame Patrick. For anything.”

“I don’t think he would ever blame you either.”

“Still, he was always so sweet and docile and…just perfectly gentle…of course he was going to be an omega.”

“How he presented does have to do with personality, a bit. But it’s mostly genetics. We’re all born being what we’ll present as. As we grow up our personalities shape us one way or the other. He was born as an omega. His personality just reinforced that.”

“We should’ve tried to protect him, kept him with us on his birthday. He would’ve been safe. He would—”

“You said that he refused to move out because he thought his father might track him and hurt you and Gerard too. He probably didn’t want to put you in harms way.”

“He’s too nice for his own good.”

“He’s perfectly nice. The world could learn from people like him. And it isn’t like every alpha he meets is gonna take advantage of him or hurt him.”

“I know. And I am beyond grateful that Pete was volunteering that night. It’s just…it never should’ve happened.”

“I know. But it did. You can’t change the past. In case you haven’t noticed, Patrick is recovering pretty well.” Andy gestured to his shoulder where Patrick was still asleep.

Brendon smiled, “He does look better. He even sounds happier with the way he talks about stuff. It’s good to see him excited again.”

“Well, he definitely matured faster than he should have, but like I said, he’s making progress.”

Andy ran his hand through Patrick’s hair again.

It was a relief that Patrick had warmed up to him so much. If he was gonna be Pete’s mate, then they should get to know each other better.

Patrick nuzzled against Andy’s shoulder and neck. He was still asleep, which meant unconsciously he was craving being scented. Andy recognized the behavior immediately, usually when omega’s wanted to please, or they wanted to feel accepted they would seek out affection.

Andy was only to happy to oblige. He turned his head down to nuzzle Patrick’s neck. Smiling in triumph when the omega exposed his neck more.

It took a few minutes for Andy to remember that Brendon was still in the room sitting just a few feet away.

“Sorry,”

“Don’t be. I’m glad that he’s happy here.”

Andy smiled, “Me too.”

“I can’t believe we’re gonna be in a pack together.”

“Trick and Joe are pretty happy about it too. Soon we’re gonna have to start looking for a house big enough for everyone.”

“Wow. When can we do that?”

“As soon as everyone agrees on a place. No hurry though. It’s tight here, but we’ll have to get used to being around each other a lot more.”

“Well, Tyler, Josh, Pete and Frank have pretty different tastes.” Brendon mused.

“Don’t forget you, Gerard, Patrick and Joe. I want your opinions too. The house is gonna belong to you guys as much as the rest of us.”

“Thank you Andy.”

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s not anything that shouldn’t be done.”


	57. In The End I'd Do It All Again, I Think You're My Best Friend

Patrick ended up sleeping peacefully for a few more hours on Andy’s shoulder. Long enough for everyone to get back to the apartment. Josh had picked up some food for everyone. 

That was what Patrick woke up to. Everyone was sitting around in the living room passing around different containers of food from KFC. Andy still had one arm around him and was eating with his other.

Slowly Patrick sat up at looked at the alpha sheepishly, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to impose so long.”

Andy chuckled, “You could never be an imposition. I’m glad you got some rest. And I’m glad you were comfortable enough to be this close to me.”

“I’ve wanted to get to know you better. But, I didn’t want to be weird about it.”

“It wasn’t weird. And even if it was, look around Trick, this look like a ‘normal’ pack to you?”

“Haha I guess not.”

 

After dinner it was quiet again, until Patrick decided to get to know Andy some more.

“What were your parents like?”

Andy stilled a moment, “I was raised by my mother. My dad died when I was little. But we stayed in the pack that he was part of, well, until I turned 18. I didn’t want to be a part of that pack. I didn’t agree with the way they did things. That’s why I wanted to start my own, or at least join another. Pete was my first and only choice.”

“When is the last time you saw her?”

“A few months ago. I talk to her on the phone every couple weeks.”

“Did Joe ever meet her?” Patrick asked.

“No. Pete went with me the first few times, before I met Joe.” Andy answered tightly.

“Hasn’t she ever been to the apartment?”

The alpha sighed, “I’ve never invited her over. And I’m not going back to the house. We always meet at a restaurant or park. Joe was just never with me when I went. I’ve never told her about him either.”

Patrick raised his eyebrow in question.

“She doesn’t like omegas?”

“She does, but they were only ever used in the pack as servants and toys. We had one in our house when I was a kid. Just to help her take care of me. But an alpha in the pack killed her for fun. After that we didn’t have any more omegas in the house, my mother didn’t like it. She was against abuse of omegas, but she never got close to one again either. It’s dangerous, in that pack to get attached to an omega. They don’t usually survive very long. Losing one is worse than never having one.”

Patrick didn’t know what to say, he was thankful that Andy hadn’t become like other alpha’s in his father’s pack, but he felt bad that he didn’t have his mother around more often.

 

The next day…

Pete was sitting behind the register watching Andy and Josh debate which kit was better. He and Patrick had come along to the store to hang out for a while.

Joe and Patrick were spinning around on the stools behind the counter.

“Petey?”

“Hmm?”

“What are your parents like?”

Joe stopped spinning and Pete flinched. He hadn’t thought about the fact that Patrick hadn’t met them yet. He hadn’t even really talked about them with Patrick. Not that he wanted to, they had a bit of a falling out.

“It’s not important.”

Patrick stopped spinning, “Do they live close to you or far away?”

“They live about an hour and a half from here.”

“You haven’t mentioned them at all since—"

“We don’t get along. Joe has never met them either.”

Patrick froze for a moment. 

He noticed how tense Pete had gotten and he felt guilty for it. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said—”

“No, don’t…don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. I was just curious.”

“It’s normal to be curious. They just, they didn’t take it well when me and Andy formed a pack.”

 

Flashback…

 

1994

When Pete woke up he felt a hand in his hair. He looked up and saw his best friend, his new alpha, staring back at him.

“You okay?”

“…Andy…yeah m’okay…tired…”

“That’s expected. Are you hurt?”

Pete could hear the pain in Andy’s voice, he felt guilty for biting so hard.

“I’m okay Andy, really I am.”

“It was bloodier than I thought.” Andy said more to himself than Pete.

For another few moments Pete didn’t move, he just stayed laying in Andy’s arms, feeling his heartbeat under his head.

“We’re a pack.” Pete whispered.

“We’re a pack.” 

“My dad is going to be pissed.”

“We’re going to move. You and me, we’re gonna go get an apartment somewhere. Somewhere away from here. We’ll leave today.”

 

When Pete went home, he packed everything that was really important into a duffle and grabbed his bass. Andy was going to pick him up out front, he tried to sneak out, he really did.

“Where have you been?” His father. Shit. 

“Uhh…just…out with Andy…” Keep it casual. Casual is good.

He came closer, “You were supposed to be here early so we could go to the head alpha and you would become part of—”

He stopped himself when he got closer. Noticing the change in Pete’s scent for the first time. He sniffed at the air and realized that his son’s scent had a tinge of Andy’s scent infused with it.

“What have you done?”

Too late. 

“Dad…Andy and I…we became a pack of our own. I’m moving in with him so don’t bother telling me to get out.”

“This is unacceptable.” His father came further into the room, walking right up to Pete and grabbing his throat, tilting his head to the side to look at the bite mark.

“Let me go.” Pete pushed at his father, but he just squeezed tighter.

“We are going to the Alpha. He will undo this.”

“NO! I am staying with Andy. I want him to be my alpha. There isn’t anything you can do about it. I’m 18.”

“What’s going on?!? You’re hurting him!” His mother.

“He submitted to another alpha! He went against his own pack for what? That kid you always hang out with…? He can’t support you the way an alpha should! Our family has been part of this pack for centuries, you can’t just—”

"HE is the ONLY alpha I would ever submit to!”

Pete felt a sharp pain across his face.

 

Andy had pulled up outside of Pete’s house and waited. Pete was supposed to meet him out here.

A look towards the Wentz house and he had his answer. In the front window he could see Pete, he could also see Pete’s father yelling at him and holding his throat. Nothing they didn’t expect. 

Then he saw Pete’s father hit him. 

Andy got out of his car and sprinted towards the house, not hesitating to throw the door open.

“Pete!”

“Get out of this house! And stay away from our son!”

“Andy!” Pete gasped out, he was still trying to pry his father’s hand off of his throat. A red hand print showing on his face.

Andy moved, pushed at Alpha Wentz’s chest and grabbed his wrist with his other hand until he let go of Pete.

Coughing Pete caught himself from falling and looked back at his parents. His mother was scowling at his father and his father was in a staring contest with Andy.

“Pete, get your things.” Andy said, not looking away from the other alpha.

He obeyed, picking up his bag and bass again and stepping behind Andy. In any other fight he would stand beside his friend. But he was so shocked, and it was his father that they were facing.

Slowly the two of them back up until they were at the front door. 

Pete looked at his mother, “Bye mom.”

 

“You alright?” Andy asked once they were on the road.

“I knew they wouldn’t be happy, but…I wasn’t ready for that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No. I’m glad we left. Nothing they could do would make me regret that. I just didn’t expect it.”

Andy reached out and squeezed Pete’s shoulder, “He can’t hurt you anymore.”

 

End flashback…

 

“Wow.” Patrick was surprised. He had always figured that alphas had it pretty easy.

“Anyway, I left that day and…things have been tense ever since. My dad doesn’t want me to talk to my brother or sister. He gave them all an alpha command to not speak with me.”

“I’m sorry. What about Andy’s mom? Does she know yours?”

Pete shrugged, “I wouldn’t want to risk it.”

Andy heard Pete talking and came over to check on him, his friend was always uncomfortable talking about his family. 

“Petey?” Andy rubbed circles on Pete’s back.

“I’m okay.”

“No you’re not.”

“I will be.” With that Pete stood up and walked away. He didn’t leave the store but he needed some space. He found his way back to the guitars and strummed a couple cords.

 

Joe looked up at Andy, “I’d still like to meet your mom. But I understand if you don’t want me to. I won’t push—”

“I’m not against you meeting her, I just, I don’t want her to…I don’t know how she’ll react.”

He and Joe have been having this discussion since they became a couple.

“Only one way to find out. Pete and Patrick could come too. Then maybe you’ll feel less nervous about it.”

“Maybe.”

 

Andy didn’t call his mom for another two days. He was nervous. It had really been awhile. And a lot has changed since the last time they talked.

“Andrew?” His mom answered.

“Yeah…yeah it’s me. Hi mom.”

“Well you must’ve been busy or did you finally remember my number?”

“A lot has happened. But, it’s not an excuse. I just, it’s complicated. I wanted to know if I could see you? Sometime maybe we could get together again?”

“Sure sweetheart. You alright? You sound stressed.”

“Uh, yeah m’fine. Just a lot on my mind.”

“Alright, how’s tomorrow sound?”

“Wow, that’s….soon…”

“It’s been months Andrew.” She said in a scolding tone.

“Right. Uh…yeah, that’s-that’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Andy panicked all night. He hardly got any sleep, too worried about how tomorrow was gonna go.

“You sure about this Andy? I can stay here if you want.” Joe offered. He was starting to regret saying he wanted to meet Andy’s family. It had the alpha all kinds a nervous since he brought it up.

“No, I need you close today.” The alpha replied, taking a moment to kiss Joe and scent him until Pete came to join them.

“I’ll drive.” Pete said.

“Thanks.”

 

The drive was silent. Andy sat in the back seat holding onto Joe like he was gonna disappear. 

 

They pulled into the parking lot of the diner. Andy could see his mother sitting at a table through one of the windows.

“Andy, we can—”

“Now or never.”

 

Andy walked in first, walking up to his mother and leaning down to hug her.

“Mom, good to see you. You remember Pete.” he sounded so…formal.

She smiled and hugged Pete too.

“Nice to see you again Peter.”

“And this,” Pete gestured, “is Joe and Patrick.” They were all tense now.

Patrick grabbed Pete’s wrist and gave him a light squeeze. Pete did relax a bit at that. But Andy was still unsure. He kept himself mostly between Joe and the table.

“Hi, pleasure to meet you mam.” Joe was the first to speak. He was nervous too; it didn’t help that Andy’s mother was staring at him and Patrick like she saw ghosts.

Pete pulled a couple chairs out for Patrick and Joe, leaving the chairs on either side of them open for himself and Andy.

“Andrew,” his mother started, “I never thought you would get a servant. Not after all the yelling you used to do about omegas being equal.”

“They’re not a servants.” Andy’s jaw was tight.

“Then what are you doing with them?”

Pete almost didn’t say anything, wanting nothing more than to grab Patrick and his friends and run.

His mother was looking worriedly at the omegas.

“Joe is my mate, and Patrick is going to be Pete’s mate.”

Silence.

His mother was silent with widened eyes before Andy spoke again.

“If you have a problem with it we can leave right now.” He was getting defensive.

“It’s just surprising Andrew.”

Andy rolled his eyes; his mother never did like that he preferred a nick name.

She turned to Joe, about to ask him a question but then she turned back to Andy, “Can I ask him something?”

Andy huffed, about to tell his mother off for even asking when Joe surprised them all.

“I don’t need permission to speak.”

Joe blushed when he realized he said it a little louder than he should’ve. 

It was true, Andy and Pete didn’t require that he have permission to speak, but in public spaces he still needed to at least appear to be under their authority. 

Any negative feeling Andy was having about this visit had disappeared, he sat up straighter and smiled widely at his boyfriend. 

Pete looked happy too, smirking at the omega and relaxing into his chair.

Ann leaned back from the table with wide eyes, glancing at Andy and Pete as if she thought they would punish the omega in some way.

When neither of them said anything, she looked at Andy again. He nodded so she turned to Joe once more.

“W-well, I was just going to ask how you two met?”

Joe felt Andy tense beside him, but he just smiled and glanced down at the table.

“He saved me. In more ways than one.” He looked up at Andy, “He really doesn’t know how much.”

For a split second a glimpse of pride could be seen on Ann’s face as she looked at her son.

She looked down at her hands and pulled at her fingers, Patrick wanted to smile, he had seen Andy do that when he was thinking.

“Mom, it’s alright.”

“Andrew, you know how I feel about om—”

“I know. But, I’m not gonna hurt Joe. Nobody is.” The last part almost came out in a growl, it would have to if it weren’t his mother he was talking to.

“But you know how other alphas can be. What if someone else in your pack kills him? Our omega was killed by a pack member, not a stranger.”

“Right now the only other alpha in my pack is Pete. He would never hurt Joe. Or Patrick. I trust him more than anybody.”

“But if you add any new members—”

“I would never let anyone into my pack that I didn’t have complete trust and faith in.”

“Mrs. Hurley, Andy told me about your omega. It sounds like you gave her a good home. Andy does the same for me.” Joe said carefully.

She smiled at Joe, a small smile that he returned full force.

 

They ate in mostly silence. It wasn’t too uncomfortable. Joe spoke up more often than he normally would. He wanted to make sure Andy’s mother knew he was safe and not being abused. She asked Andy and Pete questions, catching up with them about everything she had missed, or they hadn’t told her yet.

Once they were outside she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you found a mate?” 

“I didn’t know how you would react.”

“Andrew, he’s a doll. I doubt you were looking for my approval anyway though.”

“I wasn’t sure how you would react to…”

“To him being an omega?”

Andy flinched, “Yeah...”

“I admit, it is a surprise. I knew you always liked omegas. You were always trying to be their friend when you were growing up. Then after ours…well, it’s hard. I don’t want to get close to one just to lose them. It was easier to be around other betas. I figured you would mate an alpha. Peter was your only alpha friend, for a while I actually thought you and he might be—”

“Mom, we’ve been over this. I love Pete, just not, THAT way.” He had been having this discussion for years.

“Alright, so where did you find Joe?”

Andy sighed and looked over at where Joe and Patrick were waiting in the car, “His parents kicked him out when he presented. He lived on the streets for four years and I found him in an ally one night looking for food.”

Andy purposefully left out the part about some creep trying to rape him, he didn’t think she needed to hear that, and he didn’t want to think about it.

She nodded, “He seems to love you an awful lot.”

“I love him too.”

“You better. If he’s going to be my son-in-law someday then you need to treat him right.”

For the second time during their visit Andy smiled widely, his mother accepting his mate was amazing. More than he hoped for.

“Yes mam.”

Andy stepped beside Pete, “You okay?”

Pete forced a smile and nodded.

Andy put an arm around his friend and pulled his close before looking back at his mom.

“Mom, you wouldn’t happen to know, I mean, how is Pete’s mother doing?” Andy asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Their moms had become friends shortly after Pete and Andy met.

Pete looked up at Andy, a bit nervous, but now desperate to hear the response.

“She’s good. She misses you. Your brother and sister too.” She replied sadly; she still spoke to them from time to time.

“Tell her…tell her hello for me. And that…I miss her too. Please.”

Ann nodded and smiled gently and hauled Pete in for a hug. He stayed in her arms for as long as he could. Never realizing before how much he missed a mother’s embrace.

Pete looked over at Andy, “Did I ever tell you I love your mom?”

“Did I ever tell you that she used to think we were a couple?”

"I'm honored. Your cute, your my best friend, you drum, your the whole package baby." Pete teased, earning a snort and a headlock from Andy.

"I love you too."


	58. Overthinking

Pete was wide awake that night. Insomnia was nothing new to him, but this sleepless night was caused by something entirely new.

His mother and siblings missed him. They actually still thought about him. 

 

He hadn’t exactly forgotten about his mother and siblings. But admittedly he hasn’t thought about them in a while. He had accepted that they were in the past. 

He had moved on with Andy and they were not permitted by his father to speak to him.

And now, now that he actually heard news about them, he couldn’t get them out of his mind.

Now maybe, just maybe, he could see them again someday. 

But did he want to see them again? 

He missed them sure. But, thinking about his past, they were never exactly accepting of him. 

They always tried to change him, telling him he was too hyper, too loud, too different from the other alphas in their pack.

Andy was the only person from his hometown that really got him.

When the early morning light started to stream through the window Pete was still awake. 

He laid with his arm draped over Patrick’s middle, occasionally scenting the omega in his sleep. Normally he would ask for permission, but he needed the comfort, and he didn’t imagine Patrick would mind too much.

Pete thought some more about what it would mean to see his mother again, she was bound to be different now. He was different now. 

He was still with Andy, the only alpha he ever felt right about submitting to, and he had a future mate. Future pack.

She, as far as he knew, was still with his father. A controlling asshole alpha that had too much blind faith in the pack he was raised in.

Pete was totally distracted, engulfed in his own thoughts, when he felt a hand stroking his hair.

Looking up from where his face was pressed into the back of Patrick’s neck, he saw Andy’s hand, the other alpha’s arm stretched behind Joe and Patrick’s heads.

Pete nudged his head against Andy’s hand, pressing more into the alpha’s touch. Pete was always cuddly, but he found a lot of comfort in it when it came from Andy.

He felt Andy stroke at his head some more, after a few minutes the hand disappeared, and he saw Andy walking around the bed towards him.

“C’mon.” Andy said as he tugged on Pete’s arm.

Pete obediently slid out of bed, making sure he didn’t wake Patrick and followed his friend.

Andy was silent while he led them through the apartment, picking up a blanket along the way and going over to the window of the “porch”.

Andy sat down on the cushions and fell back against the wall.

Patting the space between his legs he said, “Get comfy.”

Pete smiled and moved to sit down and lean back against Andy’s chest. 

Andy threw the blanket over them both and wrapped his arms around Pete, pulling him as close as possible and scenting his neck a bit.

It was quiet for a few moments before Andy spoke up again.

“Petey? You didn’t sleep at all did you?” 

Pete sighed, “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Pete, it wasn’t your mother’s choice to shut you out. It wasn’t your sibling’s choice either.”

“I know. I miss them. I never realized it until Patrick asked me about them, but I do.”

“That’s normal. They’re your family.”

“You’re my family.”

“You can have more than one family.”

“You’ve done way more for me than they ever did. They…they were never there for me like you. They never understood me like you. They always tried to change me, told me I needed to calm down to be a good alpha. You just accepted me. And I love you. I mean I love them too, but…it’s different.”

“I love you too Petey. But I don’t think you should shut them out. It’s okay if you’re not ready to see them. I’m not telling you to try, just, don’t shut out the idea completely.”

 

“What are we doing today?” Pete asked, trying to change the subject.

Andy only smiled and gave him a squeeze, “Today, we are looking for a house, for all of us. If we’re all gonna be a pack, then we’ll need a new place. As much as I enjoy sleeping with all four of us in the bed, we’re all gonna get to a point when we need our personal space.”

“Any ideas yet?”

“I want to talk to everybody first, get their opinions.”

“Like a pre-pack pack meeting.” Pete smiled.

“Yeah. I also just wanna make sure that everybody is completely sure that this is what they want.”

“I’m sure it is. Especially Bren and Gee. They just got reunited with Patrick. They’re not gonna want to be anywhere else.”

“Mmm. Has there been any sign of Trick’s heat?”

“Not yet. I’m kinda worried actually.”

“About what?”

“He hasn’t had a real heat since he was thirteen. It’s gonna be bad. I don’t want to see him in pain.”

“Being there for him will help. Your scent and touch will reduce his discomfort a lot.”

“I know. Its still hard.”

“It’ll be okay. Just remember that you’re not alone.”

“Thanks.”

 

It was a few hours before their meeting actually started. Everyone had just finished lunch and were sitting in the living room.

“So, guys, if we are going to form a pack, we’re obviously gonna need a place to live. A place where we can all have a bit of personal space when we’re all in town. Today we need to start looking into places for sale.” Andy spoke, looking around at everybody to make sure they knew he valued everyone’s opinions.

“Cool, any suggestions?” Frank asked.

“I want all of your opinions. We’re all gonna live there, we all should have a say.”

“Okay. Well, location is a good place to start.”

“We all work around here, so we’ll need somewhere close-ish. And we’ll need to stay local enough that the clubs we play aren’t too far.” Brendon added.

“I’ll look for ads in the paper.” Josh said as he reached under the coffee table to grab today’s issue.

Pete had been staying quiet, sitting on the floor between Andy and Patrick’s legs. 

He was listening, but he was also overthinking again. Every time someone asked a question, he was momentarily pulled from his thoughts at the fear of being asked his opinion. He would answer honestly if he was, but right now he felt like he was gonna explode, so he stayed silent.

“Great, how many bedrooms?”

“At least four for sure. Then, I don’t know, maybe a couple of extra just in case.”

“Hills or streets?”

“Streets are cheaper, but hills are safer.”

 

For over an hour everyone discussed the type of house they should get. What details to look for and what to avoid. Everyone gave some opinion. Everyone but Pete.

Pete was happy to be moving in with his future mate. His future pack. But he still had a lot on his mind. Despite getting calmed down by Andy earlier he was still a bit wound up. Like a bunch of pent up energy and adrenaline that was just sitting under the surface of his skin.

Maybe he could go for a run later or go the gym and box. That always got out some of his stress. But that would mean leaving Patrick. He knew Andy would look after him if he asked. So would the other guys. But he hadn’t actually left Patrick for any extended period of time.

He was thankful that Andy seemed to notice his discomfort levels rise and decided not to ask him his opinion on the house. Not that he didn’t care. He could tell Andy his opinion later. 

Besides, he mostly agreed with everything the others had said. And he would follow Andy anywhere. He always had and always will.

Hopefully Andy knew that. He probably did. Andy always had some sixth sense about Pete. He could always see through the fake smiles and forced laughs. He was the one who got Pete to be comfortable opening up at all. A skill that definitely helped with getting to know Patrick.

 

He didn’t notice when the “meeting” ended. But when he felt a hand in his hair, he turned around expecting to see Andy’s concerned gaze. 

Instead he got Patrick’s.

The omega was staring into his eyes like he could read his mind. For a moment Pete though maybe he could.

“What’s wrong?” Patrick asked after a minute of a silent staring contest.

“Just, over thinking things. Things about my mom and siblings.” Pete didn’t initially want to say anything because—

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. It wasn’t my business.” –because Patrick would blame himself.

Pete just shook his head, “You didn’t do this. You reminded me of them. I hadn’t thought of them in a while. But its not your fault that I over think things. When we saw Andy’s mom, he asked her about mine. She said she misses me. It just…threw me off a bit. I haven’t thought of them in so long…” Pete trailed off, not really knowing where he was going with it in the first place. He just didn’t want Patrick to blame himself for anything.

“Can I do anything?” Patrick looked so innocent and worried. Something that only he could make look cute.

Pete started to open his mouth to answer when he realized that since Patrick started petting him he had calmed down a lot. 

“What you’re doing now is pretty great.” Pete murmured against his knee.

Patrick giggled, “Glad I could distract you.”

“My brain, kind of, consumes me sometimes.” Pete flinched at his own words. This was territory he didn’t necessarily like discussing when he was in such a wound-up state already.

Patrick seemed to notice this so he tried to lighten the mood a bit, “Well tell your brain that it can consume me instead.”

Pete smiled, “You are the best distraction a guy could ask for.”

Pete still felt pent up inside, with an energy that needed to get out, but with Patrick’s hand combing through his hair he felt like the thoughts and energy were behind some kind of wall. Not able to get close to the surface at the moment.

“You want to go to your spot?”

Pete thought for a moment, if he went up to his spot in the mountain to release his angst he would probably end up scaring Patrick.

“If you need some space you can go alone. I won’t be upset.” Patrick tried again. He could see that Pete needed it. He needed some space. 

Pete was surprised, “I don’t want to leave you.”

“I’ll be here when you get back. If you want me to, I won’t leave Andy’s side.”

Pete did relax a bit. Maybe it wouldn’t be a terrible thing. Maybe it would be okay.

“I’ll…I’ll think about it.”

 

Hours went by and Pete followed Patrick around like a lost puppy.

Everywhere Patrick was, Pete was right beside him.

In the kitchen, on the couch, on the porch. Even just talking to Brendon and Gerard, Pete stayed close to the omega. 

Patrick didn’t mind. He always like having Pete close. And if that’s what the alpha needed right now then that’s what he would do.

Pete wasn’t even really paying attention to where they were in the apartment or what Patrick was doing. He was just staring out into space thinking about everything.

If he left to go to the mountain, he would have to leave Patrick. Same thing if he went for a run or to the gym. Patrick already promised he would stay close to Andy if Pete was gone. For that he was thankful. 

He didn’t need his overthinking about his mother and siblings to be the reason that he snapped at anybody. He hasn’t snapped at anybody yet. 

He has, in the past, snapped at Andy. But Andy always remained calm and calmed Pete down too. Calm so that Pete was thinking clear enough to get himself to the mountain before screaming into the empty space between the trees.

Patrick took advantage of the fact that Pete wasn’t paying attention to where they were standing or sitting to lead the alpha to their bedroom.

Patrick waited until Pete was standing next to the bed before pushing him slightly to make him sit.

Pete noticed this and glanced around before giving Patrick a confused look.

The omega just smiled and climbed in Pete’s lap; he was straddling his legs with his arms around the alpha’s neck.

Pete still looked confused until Patrick pressed his face into his boyfriend’s neck and offered his own.

It took a moment for Pete to catch on, but once he did, he got it.

Patrick figured that maybe by getting Pete to scent him it would calm the alpha enough to get a moment of peace. He was used to Pete scenting him. They’ve been doing that since around the time the met. But this time was different. This time Pete was a bit more urgent than usual. 

The alpha had his face pressed into Patrick’s neck a bit harder than he had in the past. 

He was squeezing him closer and tighter than he normally would. 

He even nipped at Patrick’s mating gland a few times. Something he hadn’t done until now.

But Patrick didn’t pull away. 

If any other alpha grabbed and nuzzled at him with this much energy he would be scared. But, Pete seemed, lost? 

The urgency Pete had wasn’t one out of anger or lust. It was fear. Maybe a little bit of panic. 

They weren’t bonded yet, but they must’ve formed a tie strong enough to sense some things. 

That was probably why Patrick didn’t pull back. Didn’t squirm or try to stop him. He just let Pete squeeze and hold him where he wanted while he tilted his head back to give the alpha further access and stroked his hair some more.

Pete was totally distracted. His instincts outweighed his angst now. All he wanted to do was scent his soon-to-be-mate. 

Some part of himself knew that Patrick had planned this, and he would be sure to thank him later. For now, he was too enveloped in the omega’s scent.

Self-control was something Pete had always envied of Andy, and he thought that he had picked up on some of it since he was a teenager. But right now, right now he was having trouble focusing on that. 

Patrick felt teeth and lips sucking on his neck. 

He hadn’t expected Pete to give him a hickey. Maybe he should stop the alpha before it gets too far, but on the other hand he didn’t want to stop him. Not just because he wanted to make the alpha feel better, but because it felt really really good. He figured it was okay as long as Pete didn’t try to take it further.

It wasn’t until Pete’s hand slipped behind his head and tugged at his hair that he felt a bit panicked.

At first, he didn’t say anything, just stopped petting the alpha’s hair.

Pete wasn’t pulling, it didn’t hurt, it just felt too familiar. The man that had kept him, he would pull on Patrick’s hair to get him to move and do things.

The memories started flooding back into Patrick’s mind. He was breathing heavier now.

He needed to stop this before it got to out of hand and he had a full on panic attack. Even if Pete got mad at him, this was too much.

“Pete!” Patrick pushed at the alpha’s shoulder, “Pete stop!”

 

Patrick’s eyes were closed, he was focusing on his breathing when he heard his boyfriends voice.

“Trick? C’mon baby look at me.”

Patrick opened his eyes and saw that Pete had in fact stopped. The alpha was leaning back as far as he could with Patrick still in his lap.

Pete didn’t look angry or upset. He just looked concerned.

“I’m sorry,” Patrick started.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost control like that. You wanna tell me what triggered the panic?”

“When…when you grabbed my hair…he…he used to do that.” Patrick’s voice was shaking. He was starting to panic again, the memory triggering another round of flashbacks. 

“Patrick, look at me.” Pete waited for him to comply, “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m actually really proud of you for stopping it when you needed to.”

“Thank you for stopping.” Patrick blurted out. The weight of the statement a testament to his past.

“I promised you a while ago that I will always stop when you ask. As soon as you ask.”

True to his word Pete had stopped at soon as he heard Patrick say it. 

The omega’s scent had changed from happy and relaxed to panicked and scared. When he heard the omega’s voice, he knew something was wrong. He pulled back immediately and moved his hands to the omega’s biceps, a safe spot to touch as far as he knew. The omega’s eyes were closed, and he was mumbling under his breath while Pete tried to coax him out of the state of mind he slipped into.

He didn’t realize it was a flashback that the omega was having until he heard him mumble ‘sir’.

 

“Patrick I’m so sorry,” Pete started after they were both calm again. “I should not have done anything like that without asking you first.”

“Pete, it’s my fault, I wanted to make you feel better not—”

“It is not your fault. Nothing you did was wrong. And I do feel a lot less stressed, I’m just worried about you.”

“Don’t be, I’ll get over it. I shouldn’t have—”

“I don’t want you to just ‘get over’ it. If you have a problem, we will work on fixing it.”

“Okay,” Patrick smiled, “But if I can’t blame myself then you can’t blame yourself either.”

“Deal.” Pete grinned, “We do need to figure out what you’re okay with so that we can avoid this as much as possible though.”

“Sounds good to me, but how? I didn’t know that grabbing my hair would trigger me until after you did it.”

It worried Patrick a lot. If something as small as grabbing his hair made his breathing difficult and gave him flashbacks, then what would happen when he decided he was ready to mate with Pete. Sex is bound to have worse flashbacks than this.

Pete thought for a moment. He had an idea, but it was just as dangerous as it was good.

“Well,” Pete raised his hand towards Patrick’s head, “If I just pet your hair, does it bother you?”

Pete didn’t actually touch the omega’s head himself, when his hand got close Patrick pushed his head against the alpha’s hand.

“No, I like when you pet my hair.” Patrick said blushing.

“Okay,” Pete rested his hand in Patrick’s hair, “If I grab your hair now, do you think it will trigger you?”

Patrick was still, he wasn’t scared at the moment, not of Pete anyway. 

“I-I’m not sure.”

“Do you want me to try it?” Pete wanted to know if telling or asking Patrick about everything before he did it would take away the fear, but he would never push limits without permission first.

Patrick looked into Pete’s eyes, “Yeah.”

“Alright, I’m gonna grab your hair. I’m not gonna pull hard or anything. Tell me if you need me to stop.”

Patrick nodded and took a deep breath.

Pete closed his fingers in the omega’s hair and paused, looking into Patrick’s eyes he didn’t see any signs of panic. “Still okay?”

Another nod. Patrick didn’t know what Pete’s angle was, or what good he thought this would do, but he did know that he wasn’t panicking. 

“Okay, I’m gonna pull a bit.” 

Pete waited for another nod before gently tugging on his boyfriend’s hair.

It wasn’t any different from the way he tugged on it before, other than being less rushed and this time…this time Patrick knew about it.

“Trick?”

“I’m okay.” Patrick sounded confused.

Pete smiled gently and let go of his hair, “So, for now, at least with this, it seems that when you know something is going to happen it takes away the fear that causes your flashbacks.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“Something that they teach us when we start volunteering. A lot of details before doing something takes away the unknown. Makes it less scary.”

“So now what?”

“Anytime we do anything, if it’s something we haven’t done already, I’ll ask you for permission and tell you what I’m doing. Every step. No surprises.”

“Thank you for being so patient with me. This can’t be easy.” Patrick did feel bad. With another omega, Pete could just do these things without them going into a panic attack.

“Patrick, patience is easy when you love the person that needs it.”

“I love you too.”


	59. Me Inside You, It'll Be Great

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More Stuff happens. Also I felt compelled to mention that Andy and Joe have sex in this chapter. So idk...if you don't want to read it don't and if you do then please enjoy. 
> 
> Thanks again to anybody who is still reading this and to anybody who finds this interesting to read at all. It's cool knowing that other people have similar interests.
> 
> Stay tuned for the next chapters! :)

Patrick and Pete really did feel calmer.

They were covered in each other’s scent.

Despite the panic and confusion that happened, their instincts had made them feel calm and safe again. 

Patrick wasn’t worried about his flashback at the moment. Pete still had a bit of tension about his mother, but for now, it was buried where he didn’t think about it.

When they made their way out of their bedroom Pete went to find Andy and Patrick went into the living room where Gerard and Brendon were sitting.

As he walked in and sat down his friend’s eyes were wide, following his every movement.

For a moment Patrick just looked back and forth between them, not sure what or why they were staring at him for.

“Dude…” Brendon started, still staring.

“Why are you two looking at me like that?” Patrick asked, confusion consuming his brain. He would have found this funny if they didn’t look so concerned.

“Your…are those hickeys or did Pete actually punish you for something?” Brendon teased.

Gerard was quiet, still staring at Patrick like he had grown another head.

It took a second before Patrick came to the realization that his neck must look pretty bad if they were reacting this way.

He raised a hand to his neck, running his fingers over his boyfriend’s marks. He could feel them there, they didn’t hurt really, but he knew where they were just from feeling them.

He felt them covering almost the entirety of the right side of his neck and part of the front.

They must be darker than he thought…

Patrick got up and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. Gerard and Brendon following close behind.

“Oh my god.”

“I take it this means it wasn’t a punishment?” Brendon was grinning now.

“No, we were, I was trying to get him to relax so I thought if we scented he would calm down. We both got a bit carried away.”

Patrick would tell them about his panic attack later. 

For now he was distracted by the red, black, purple and blue marks covering his neck. 

He smiled at himself, Pete’s mark.

“Only you could accidentally get hickeys.” Gerard teased, “You’re like an innocent little bunny with a secret semi-kinky side that you don’t even know you have.”

“Shut up.” Patrick groaned.

He wasn’t mad that Pete left marks on him. Quite the opposite actually. The idea of Pete having some sort of claim on him made him feel some kinda way. But now he had to deal with his friends constant teasing. 

He knew it wasn’t malicious. If he asked them to stop they would. It was just kind of that brotherly love teasing that he’s missed so much over the last six years. 

He wouldn’t ask them to stop. 

 

Pete saw the marks on Patrick’s neck, he felt extremely guilty. But also kind of proud of himself. Which really just made him feel more guilty.

He found Andy and Joe in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around the alpha from behind.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t entirely helpful during the meeting.”

“Don’t apologize.” Andy smirked, Pete smelled like Patrick, “You seem to be feeling better.”

“Me and Trick spent some time together.”

“I can tell. It must’ve gone well.”

“For the most part.”

Joe looked over at that.

“Most part?” Andy got a bit concerned.

“I got a bit too…overzealous. He got triggered, flashbacks of his…his torture. He pulled out of it though. And then we tried to figure out what caused it, made a plan for next time.”

“That’s good. How’s Patrick doing now?”

“He’s good. His neck looks pretty colorful, but I think he’s okay with it. He went to hang out with Gee and Bren in the living room.”

Andy smiled and let Pete hold onto him. 

He could tell that Pete was more relaxed, but he could also still sense the tension from earlier lingering under the surface.

 

Pete did stay around Andy while the other alpha made dinner. 

There wasn’t a moment when he didn’t have an arm around the alpha, or his head on his shoulder, or a hand on his arm. 

Pete seemed to need the contact. Andy didn’t mind.

Neither of them saw Joe sneak a picture before going off to check on Patrick. 

 

Joe was walking down the hall when he heard their voices chattering and laughing. He slowed down and put his ear against the bathroom door. 

When he heard Patrick groaning about being called a bunny his curiosity peaked and he knocked on the door as he opened it.

Patrick was standing in front of the mirror and the other two were leaning over his shoulders and poking at his neck. 

“Hey Joe,” Patrick said softly, he gave the curly haired man a look that said ‘don’t do it’. 

Joe wasn’t going to tease Patrick, at least not yet.

“He really got you good didn’t he?” Joe asked as he reached out and tilted Patrick’s head to the side.

Patrick only smirked and looked at Joe in the mirror, “I don’t mind.”

“I see that.” Joe smiled back and ruffled Patrick’s hair, “Dinner is almost ready. Oh and you are totally a bunny.”

Joe spun out of the room before Patrick could grab him, laughing all the way back to the kitchen as he heard his friends laughing along with him.

 

Pete flinched when Patrick walked into the kitchen. 

The marks on his skin were darker now that they’ve settled.

“I’m sorry Trick.” Pete mumbled, looking like a little kid that was trying to make up for breaking a window with a ball.

“Don’t be.” The omega stepped closer to his boyfriend and kissing his jaw. “I’m happy. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Pete smiled and looked back at Andy, the other alpha raised his eyebrows at Patrick’s neck but didn’t say anything.

 

Dinner was mostly quiet, they were sitting in the living room watching tv as they ate. But Patrick wasn’t paying attention. He was lost in his own thoughts.

Patrick was happy. Really he couldn’t figure out why some things made him have flashbacks and others didn’t.

He would never be able to forget what happened to him, and he has had a few nightmares. But so far hes always woke up or figured out it was a dream before he got too scared.

The idea that Pete tugging on his hair was enough to make him forget where he was and fall deep into a flashback had freaked him out, he didn’t like that. 

The idea of Pete thinking he was the cause was worse.

He hoped he could figure himself out before he had his heat. He didn’t want to freak out and drive Pete away when he needed him most.

It did help that Pete had experience with helping omegas deal with trauma. 

He could only imagine how scared he’s gonna be when they actually have sex.

He’s already scared. Sure, he liked most of what happened today, despite the flashback. But what happened today didn’t hurt.

He’s scared of the pain mostly. Even though Joe said there were precautions and stuff he still couldn’t imagine it feeling good. But Joe seemed to like it. He’d have to ask him about that later.

He knew he could ask Gerard and Brendon too and as much as he loved his childhood friends being back in his life he felt better about talking about sex with Joe. 

Of course, Joe did say he should try to talk to Pete about it. He knew he was right. And Joe did say he was willing to sit in on that talk and help him find the right words.

He was comfortable with Pete. He loved Pete. But he was also naturally shy and even just the thought of sex made his face feel hot.

It must’ve shown because Tyler nudged his shoulder and asked, “You good?”

Thankfully they didn’t attract any attention, Tyler’s voice was quiet, and the conversations mixed with the tv was fairly noisy.

“Yeah, just thinking about some stuff.” Patrick said awkwardly and looked down at his plate. He didn’t know Tyler that well yet. Even though he was a mate of one of his best friends, he was still an alpha that he hadn’t known very long.

“Okay. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You just looked really flushed. I thought maybe it was your heat.”

“Thanks. I’m okay. I just have a lot on my mind that I need to figure out.”

Tyler nodded in understanding and went back to his food, sneakily stealing a few bites off Josh’s plate when his was emptied. Josh just pretended he didn’t see him and continued his conversation with Andy.

Patrick could see why Brendon liked them.

They were similar to Brendon in that they were playful like him yet serious enough to take care of situations and make sure everything would be okay. They felt safe.

Patrick smiled at the thought that one of his best friends found two mates that were actually good people. 

When he looked back down at his own plate, he realized he hadn’t eaten much of his food. Pete would definitely call him out on that. The alpha has been obsessed with Patrick being healthy and eating enough since the day they met.

Patrick quickly ate most of his food, at least enough to have as much left as everybody else. It seemed to work because nobody said anything.

 

The next day…

 

Andy was sitting at the register looking through a magazine and Joe was stacking new records when Frank came in with a stack of papers.

“Alright, I stopped by a realtors office and these are some of the houses that fit our descriptions in the area.”

Andy raised his eyebrows at the pile. There had to be over fifty files with pictures and descriptions and times of open houses. “Did you look through them yet?”

“No. I figured we oughta do that as a pack. Besides, as long as Gee likes it then I’m fine with whatever.”

“That’s what Josh and Tyler said about Bren.”

“Maybe we should just let all the omegas pick out a house.” Frank was only half joking, the entire pack wasn’t really that picky about where they lived, but their omegas comforts were high priority. If they didn’t like a house none of them were gonna live there.

“I agree. At least they could narrow it down. First, we’ll have to thin down which ones are willing to sell to a pack with omegas though. I don’t want to get their hopes up for a house to find out that they won’t sell to us.”

“Good idea. I’ll take these home and start separating them. See ya later.”

“Later.”

 

Joe came over to Andy after he finished stacking the records, “What was Frank doin here?”

“He found some houses to look at.”

“That’s good.”

“Were gonna look through them first to see if they’re willing to sell to a pack with omegas. Not all streets are omega friendly either. Then you, Trick, Gee and Bren can pick out which ones you like.”

Joe thought for a minute, there was something he wanted to tell Andy, but he didn’t want to say it in front of Patrick yesterday.

“Baby?” Andy noticed Joe staring off into space. “Joe!”

“What? Sorry, I was just—”

“Thinking. Ya I noticed, ya okay?”

“The new house…I mean I don’t know where he was before but, make sure we aren’t near where Patrick was…” He couldn’t quite finish the statement, but Andy got it anyway.

The alpha didn’t realize that he hadn’t actually factored that in. 

Patrick wouldn’t actually know what the outside of the house looked like very well, if at all. But that doesn’t mean they should live anywhere near there. 

He also knew that Pete would know where it was.

“I’ll call Pete and tell him to take out any that are close to it.”

Joe nodded at the alpha’s words, feeling somewhat better about the whole thing. The last thing he wanted was for anyone, especially Patrick, to be anywhere near where his torture took place.

It only took one ring before Pete picked up, “Hey Andy.”

“Pete do me a favor.”

“Anything.” Pete’s voice was so light compared to how it was before that Andy almost felt guilty for making him think of something like this.

“Frank has a pile of files on houses for us to look at, he’s gonna see which ones are omega friendly but I want you to throw out any that are close to where Patrick was…before he was rescued.”

Pete was silent on the other end of the phone. 

“Pete,”

“I’m here. Yeah I’ll do that.” His voice was tense. 

Andy did feel guilty now, but he was more relieved that they wouldn’t be near the place where such awful things happened to Patrick.

“Sorry to bring it up but—”

“No, no. Its good that we do this now. I’ll talk to you later.”

Pete hung up before Andy could respond but he didn’t take it personally. If it were Joe’s past he thinks he would’ve reacted the same way.

“Pete will take care of it.” Andy said to Joe.

“Good.” Joe moved around the counter to rest his head against Andy’s shoulder.

Andy leaned down to kiss his forehead when he yawned.

“I can call him back to come take you home if you’re tired.” Andy offered.

“No, I wanna stay with you. We haven’t been alone in a while.”

Andy chuckled, “We will be soon.”

“Not soon enough.” Joe whined.

The omega was feeling particularly horny lately. Usually they had sex fairly often but its been a while since they got so many house guests.

Joe looked around the store and realized that there was only one customer in the back testing out a guitar. 

Maybe he could—

“Don’t even think about baby.” Andy warned. 

He could tell Joe was planning something. Not that he wasn’t interested in the offer, but he wasn’t exactly looking to get caught boning at work.

“We could—”

“No.” It was hard to say no, it really was. Especially with the way Joe was nipping at his neck. He wanted to say yes, but he didn't want to get caught by any customers.

Joe glanced back at the customer and when he saw that they still weren’t looking in his and Andy’s direction he moved in front of Andy and dropped to his knees, sliding backwards under the counter.

“Joseph, I said no.” Andy warned again. His voice getting weaker as his front of pretending to not be interested wore away.

Joe knew he was winning because despite Andy saying ‘no’ the alpha’s hand had slipped into his hair.

“Andy?” Joe asked again. Even though he wanted sex, if his boyfriend said no again he would stop.

It was a system they had perfected.

Anytime Joe wanted sex but they weren’t in the right place, he would beg, and Andy would say no. He would drop to his knees and undo his boyfriends pants, then ask again. If Andy said no this time it meant he was serious. If he said yes it meant that he was playing along and teasing back.

“Go ahead.” Andy’s voice sounded more urgent now and his fingers tightened in Joe’s hair. “Keep quiet though.” The alpha glanced up at the customer again, still nothing.

Joe undid his mate’s pants the rest of the way and pulled his cock free.

Pumping it a few times Joe smirked at how Andy was already semi-hard.

He leaned forward and licked a line from the base to the tip until Andy tightened his grip on his hair and pulled him back, “No teasing baby. We need to do this quick.”

Joe only smirked again but obeyed the alpha’s request when he let go of his hair. He didn’t necessarily want to settle for blowing his alpha under the counter, he was hoping for sex, but with the store still being open and a customer still here he figured it was better than nothing.

He took him into his mouth until the alpha’s cock hit the back of his throat and his forehead was resting against Andy’s stomach.

Andy grunted, “Good boy.”

Joe picked up his pace and started bobbing his head faster. He felt Andy put a hand in his hair again, but he didn’t pull or push. 

Andy usually didn’t try to make him go deeper. He was too worried about hurting the omega. Too focused on making sure Joe was always comfortable when they did stuff like this. 

Ever since the first time they had sex they had both steadily got more comfortable with each other’s bodies.

They weren’t as worried about being gentle now, though the sentiment wasn’t forgotten. They still checked in with each other for approval and consent but it didn’t always need to be verbal anymore. They knew each other’s body language enough to know when something was good or bad.

Andy was trying extremely hard to make sure he didn’t moan too loud. Not an easy task when Joe was deep throating him almost every time.

He looked up when he saw movement in the corner of the store, the customer was coming over to the counter to check out.

Shit.

Quickly Andy gripped Joe’s hair harder than he meant to and pulled his head back, away from his cock.

“Find everything you need?” Andy asked the customer as he approached.

He let go of Joe and mentally prayed that his mate wouldn’t try anything when there was a customer just a few feet away.

“Yes thank you.” A beta, who thankfully didn’t seem to notice anything unusual.

Joe was confused when Andy first pulled him away, but when he heard him talking, he figured it out pretty quickly and stayed still and quiet under the counter.

It was tempting to reach out and tease Andy some more but that would be interfering with the alphas work. He wouldn’t do that. Maybe if he behaved he would get rewarded.

Just as soon as he heard Andy say goodbye and the bell above the store door dinging he leaned forward again only to stop when he saw his alpha stepping back and buttoning up his pants.

“Andy?” Joe was confused.

“Go wait for me in the office. We’ll try and make this last.” Andy said as he ruffled Joe’s hair and walked towards the front door to lock it.

Joe moved quickly jogging back to the office and stripping off his clothes. When he was done he reached into Andy’s desk and grabbed a bottle of lube.

He poured some on his fingers, bent over the desk and reached behind himself, adding two fingers right away. The stretch burned a bit, but not enough to make him stop. 

He was in the process of adding a third finger when he felt someone else’s hand swat his away and take his place.

At some point Andy must’ve grabbed the lube because Joe felt three slick fingers push in and brush against his prostate.

A loud moan escaped him and he pushed back against Andy’s hand.

“You’ve really been hard up haven’t you?” The alpha asked.

“Please Andy…” Joe was not in the mood for teasing anymore. “Please.”

Andy just smiled but slipped his own pants down to his thighs and spread some lube on his cock.

Joe leaned further over the desk, resting on his elbows as he felt the alpha push in.

Andy moved slowly on purpose. Not just to protect Joe from pain and tease him some more but also because he wasn’t sure how long he would last. And he wanted to make sure Joe was satisfied enough so that if it were a little while before they could do this again he wouldn’t be too disappointed.

Andy stilled when his hips were flush against the omegas, giving him a moment to adjust to the feeling.

Joe groaned and pushed himself back again, Andy grabbed his waist and held him still.

Reaching up to push down on the middle of Joe’s spine, “Arch your back baby.”

Joe obeyed, letting Andy push down on his lower back while he pushed his shoulders up. The change in angle made Joe cry out and struggle against Andy’s grip to move himself on Andy’s cock.

“Pl-please m-move…” Joe was panting now.

Slowly Andy started moving back and forth, using his grip on Joe’s hips to keep him still.

As he picked up his pace and started thrusting faster and harder Joe’s moans got louder and his breathing got more rigid.

“Mmm…fu…Andy…”

The alpha reached around Joe’s front and pulled him up, so the omega’s back was pressed against his chest. Joe held onto his boyfriend’s arm and let his head fall back against his shoulder.

The new angle hit a new spot inside Joe that made him whine more.

Andy had one arm supporting Joe and one hand resting on the omega’s hip, his thrusts hadn’t slowed down at all, but his grip was tighter, sure to leave marks later.

Joe hadn’t touched his own cock once, usually Andy did that for him, but right now he was painfully hard and close to coming despite neither of them touching him.

“Andy please…I-I need t-to co—”

“Not until I say.” Andy replied.

He didn’t normally make Joe wait, but he wanted the omega to feel this for as long as possible since they might not get another chance to do this for a while.

Joe whined again as Andy’s thrusts started getting more erratic. He was close himself and he could feel his knot growing bigger and bigger inside his mate.

Andy licked at Joe’s mating gland, smiling at the memory of that day. 

Joe never came without permission. Andy never gave him an alpha command or anything like that, and he’s pretty sure that even if he did come without permission Andy wouldn’t punish him. But he wouldn’t disobey. He wanted to please his alpha, and if his alpha said wait then that’s what he would do.

Andy’s knot grew so much that thrusting was getting shorter, he couldn’t pull out as far as before, he was definitely close.

Andy slid a hand into Joe’s hair and pulled his head to the side before biting down on his gland and coming inside his mate. His knot tying them together.

When he released his jaw he said, “Come.”

Joe gasped as he jutted forward and came on Andy’s desk.

“Good omega.” Andy praised as he stroked Joe’s hair.

Joe was usually out of it right after he came like this. Andy didn’t mind, it just meant that he got to cuddle and tend to his boyfriend for as long as it took to get him back to his usual self.

Joe leaned back into Andy’s arms as they waited for the alpha’s knot to go down.

Andy ran his fingers through Joe’s come on the desk and brought his hand up to the omega’s mouth, humming in satisfaction when his boyfriend started sucking and licking without question.

“Good boy.”

Joe purred at the praise and turned his head to kiss his alpha.

"Thank you.” Joe’s eyes were still glassy, but his voice was returning to mostly normal. It sounded a little raw, no doubt from how many times his throat contracted around Andy’s cock earlier.

“Soon things will be back to normal.” Andy tried.

“Frank and Gee fuck all the time at home.”

“They don’t mind an audience though. When it was just Pete and Patrick things were different.”

“Okay. Then will you promise me something?”

“Anything.”

“When we do move into a new house, you and me just spend an entire day in bed. Please.”

Andy smiled, “How’s an entire weekend sound?”

“Really?”

“Really. Just you and me in bed, me inside you, it’ll be great. I’ll have Pete bring us food.”

“Sounds perfect.”

 

It was almost twenty minutes later before Andy's knot was down.

Gently Andy pushed Joe forward so he was bending over the desk again, he was about to pull out when he got an idea.

Andy leaned over Joe's back to reach into his desk drawer, pulling out a small box.

"Andy?" Joe asked. He was curious as to what his boyfriend was doing, he couldn't see from his angle what Andy had grabbed.

"Stay still." Was all Andy said.

A minute later Joe felt Andy pull out slowly, the space he occupied before suddenly feeling empty. Then much to his surprise he felt something else pushing into him.

It took a moment to realize it was a butt plug. Something Andy normally only used on special occasions.

Andy helped Joe to stand up when he was done, "Feel okay?"

"Yeah."

"Good." Andy held up a remote and smirked, "Get dressed. I'll go unlock the store again." Andy kissed Joe once more and adjusted his pants before walking out of the room.

Joe sighed happily and started pulling his clothes back on, groaning every time the plug in his ass vibrated.

Today would be interesting.


	60. My Mood Changes Like the Intrusive Memories Clouding My Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER STARTS OUT FINE BUT HAS A PART WITH A FLASHBACK OF RAPE THAT MAY BE TRIGGERING. I PUT A WARNING RIGHT BEFORE THAT PART OF THE CHAPTER STARTS. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THAT PART THE WARNING WILL TELL YOU TO SKIP TO THE NEXT CHAPTER.
> 
> I PLAN ON POSTING THE NEXT CHAPTER RIGHT AFTER THIS, IT WILL PICK UP AFTER THE FLASHBACK ENDS. 
> 
> I say it may be triggering, some people may think it is graphic, others might not. But either way I feel the need to give a warning because mental health is important so please don't risk it.
> 
> I'm sorry, when I started writing this chapter I didn't plan or intend it to go this way, I actually have been debating whether or not to scrap it all together and restart but I feel the need to get it out there because writing it helped my brain calm down, kind of like venting.
> 
> I promise that the next chapter is like the therapist of the end of this one.

Pete had discarded any files on houses that were close to THAT house.

He was fairly panicked the rest of the day. Never letting Patrick out of his line of sight, but also not turning into his shadow again. He wanted to, every fiber in his being was screaming at him to grab Patrick and hold him close, protect him. 

But he had already been pretty clingy to the omega this week.

Besides, he didn’t want to scare or make his boyfriend think about his past. Not when he was so happy today. He’s been doing so well…If he disrupted Patrick’s happy demeanor just to remind him of his past then he would feel absolutely awful.

 

Patrick noticed Pete following him around like a lost puppy again, but this time the alpha seemed to want space at the same time. So he stayed where Pete could see him, when he went into another room he made sure to move slow enough that Pete noticed and would follow him.

Not that anybody was doing much today. He and Gerard were mostly just watching tv or playing videogames. 

Joe was at work with Andy, Brendon was out for a walk with Tyler. Josh had gone to work. He is a free-lance drum teacher. Mostly for kids who lived nearby. 

Frank was searching through some papers, they looked like stuff on houses, so he figured he got some leads for them. Something Patrick was happy to be looking forward to.

He enjoyed having everybody close. He especially enjoyed being close to Gerard and Brendon again. But he also felt the need for some space. He could tell that everyone else felt it too.

Especially Joe. 

Sometimes thinking about everything made him feel guilty.

Just a few months ago Joe was living here with Just Andy and Pete. He didn’t need to share attention or space. Now, now Pete was putting most of his attention on Patrick, and there were five other people sleeping in the apartment.

Joe never complained though, at least not to him, so if he was frustrated at all with the crowded home he didn’t show it.

Soon they would go from sharing a smaller space to sharing an actual house. Something that would most definitely make his heat more tolerable. The idea of going through it in the apartment when everybody was in such close proximity freaked him out a bit.

As excited as Patrick was about moving into a house, he was nervous.

Truthfully he had no idea where he was kept before. 

When Pete rescued him he only saw the outside for a few minutes, and it they moved pretty quickly to the ambulance then.

He hasn’t even been in a house since. 

Even if Patrick never says anything to his boyfriend, there’s no way that Pete would allow them to go near that street again.

All he hoped for in the new house was that he was safe. He trusted Pete to make that happen.

Though, the idea of a house with a basement kind of makes him squirm. He was kept in a basement for six years. The last thing he ever wants to do is go back in one.

But asking for a house without a basement might make the search longer and more difficult for Andy and the others. He didn’t want that, but if they did have a basement, he would not be going down there.

 

It was late when everybody was finally home again.

Joe and Andy walked in holding hands, Joe looked kind of flushed, like he was running a marathon and he had a fresh bite over his mating gland.

“Joe? You okay?” Pete asked as soon as he saw the omega in the doorway.

“Mmhm, I’m fine.” His voice was short, quiet, like he was unsure if it even worked.

Joe moved to step forward but was pulled back by Andy’s hand.

“Ah ah, where you going so fast?” Andy’s voice was playful, a smirk gracing his lips as he taunted Joe with the remote hidden in his pocket.

“I-I just need a s-shower.” Joe blushed furiously and glared at his alpha. 

Andy raised an eyebrow at his mate but continued grinning as he watched Joe squirm.

“Please.” Joe begged quietly. He liked playing this game with Andy. They had done this before, but he was a bit flustered at being around the rest of the guys, not really Pete, he had seen this before. But the rest of their friends were unaware of their sex life.

Pete smirked too, realizing what had Joe so impatient.

He had seen Andy and Joe do a lot of sexual stuff through the years. But the remote-control vibrator ‘game’ that they played was by far the most entertaining. Andy would do it to make Joe feel good but also because he thought it was sexy to see Joe hot and bothered all day. Even better because he could control it. Joe enjoyed it because he was getting pleasure but also because it seemed to make Andy happy. The entire thing amused Pete.

“Whatsa matter Joey?” Pete started playing along with a feigned innocence looking into the omega’s eyes.

“Shut up.” Joe groaned. “Andy please, can we go shower now?” Joe was panting slightly, Andy had turned up the vibration setting again.

“Alright, only because you were so well behaved today.” Andy kissed his temple.

Joe rolled his eyes tried to speed walk to his and Andy’s bathroom, but every few steps he had to stop and look back at Andy to glare. The alpha hadn’t stopped playing with the remote. And likely wouldn’t until he took out the plug. He would wait for Andy to do that, it was the only rule to this game really.

Pete’s smile widened as he watched Andy follow after the omega, turning to wink at him before disappearing into the bedroom.

He was happy for his friends, it had been a while, or at least a while in ‘Andy and Joe’ standards since they had some fun.

“Andy seemed happy.” Tyler smirked at Pete, like he knew just what they were up to.

“They usually are after a day of…fun.”

Nodding Tyler changed the subject, “Any news about the house?”

Pete froze for a minute, panicking at the worries he had earlier crossing his mind again, but Tyler was patient, just tilted his head to the side and waited.

“Um, uh yeah. Frank has a bunch of options; we just need to narrow it down to some that were interested in looking at in person. We figured the omegas could pick out which ones they liked best. And we’ll go from there.”

“Are they all omega friendly?”

“Yeah, me and Frank got rid of those and some others earlier.”

“Okay, how long do you think Joe will be in the shower?” Tyler smirked again and wiggled his eyebrows at Pete.

Just like that he felt better again, “Haha, uh, at least a half hour or so.” Pete rubbed the back of his neck and looked down, at least Andy and Joe were being quiet this time.

 

It was another forty-five minutes before Joe and Andy came back to the living room.

Joe was wearing loose pants and a shirt that were actually Andy’s and he had a slight limp, but he was smiling.

Andy sat down and pulled Joe to sit next to him, secured between him and Pete. Something they had always done when he and Andy played like this. 

Something about being under Andy’s control made Joe slip into a certain headspace. One where he had difficulty focusing on much of anything. It was mostly just his instincts taking over and making him obey his alpha, his mate. But he wanted to do it too. It was nice, escaping for a while. Andy would always pull him out of it, clean him up and cuddle him until he came back to reality a bit. 

Then Andy would keep Joe firmly between himself and Pete. He was protective, and he didn’t like the idea of another alpha being near Joe. Not when he was so close to possibly slipping into his head space again. But Pete, Pete wasn’t just another alpha. Pete knew how to take care of Joe, knew how to protect him and help him from slipping into his head space again.

Joe was mostly out of his headspace now, he was still a bit foggy, but he was mostly aware of himself and his surroundings.

Joe pulled his legs up on the seat and folded them, letting Andy put an arm around his shoulders and Pete lay an arm across his front, a heavy hand resting on his knee.

Patrick looked at the three of them, thinking about how he was finally going to have a pack…a family that made him feel safe. 

“So,” Brendon clapped, interrupting everyone’s thoughts, “We have some houses to look at?” He asked looking from one alpha to the next until one answered.

“Yep, you four pick out your favorites, we need to have options just in case we don’t get one we want.” Frank replied, dropping the pile of files on the coffee table.

Brendon, Gerard and Patrick sat on the floor, gathered around the table. 

Patrick sat directly in front of Pete and leaned back against the alpha’s legs. He felt Pete place a hand in his hair, twirling a few strands in his fingers. The alpha was being gentle, almost too gentle, his touch felt more like air blowing on him. He knew it was because Pete didn’t want to scare him like before. But Patrick wanted to make sure his boyfriend knew he wouldn’t break into a million pieces.

Patrick pushed his head back into Pete’s hand until the feathery light touches turned into more satisfying pets. Grinning when he got his way Patrick turned his attention back to the pile in front of him.

He picked up a few and reached back to put them in Joe’s lap before grabbing a some of his own.

For over an hour the four of them sorted through the different houses. Whenever somebody came across one that they liked they put it in a separate pile, anytime anybody didn’t like one they gave it back to Frank. They had narrowed it down to six houses that the four of them liked.

All six houses were similar on the outside. It was the minor details that the omegas were focused on finding out about. 

Four of them had walls or fences with gates around the property, something that Patrick and Gerard saw as an immediate yes. Brendon found two with pools, and three of them had big kitchens that Joe saw as an opportunity to not only bake more but to ‘make Pete learn how to cook better’ as he said. Pete had only smiled and rolled his eyes, but promised Joe that he would try. 

“Okay, which is your favorite?” Andy asked them.

They laid out the six files on the table, only one of them had the gates, the pool and the kitchen. The others were all variations on different combinations. The four omegas made eye contact with each other; a silent conversation that had their alphas mildly amused.

Once they all agreed on that one as their favorite Patrick picked it up and handed it to Andy.

“Good choice.” Andy said looking over the file.

“I’ll call the realtor tomorrow and set up a time for a viewing.” Frank said.

Frank usually wasn’t this involved unless the subject was music or Gerard, so Pete found it interesting how anxious the other alpha seemed to be about getting a house. But he supposed it probably had a lot to do with Gerard. Once they all got a house of their own, they would all have a lot more “personal” space. 😉

Even now it was hard to miss how touchy Frank and Gerard were. They tried not to do it too much in front of everyone, but anyone could tell that they were not used to holding back.

Gerard was sitting on the floor in front of Frank and the alpha was massaging his neck, occasionally dipping his hand down into the front of the omega’s shirt. The omega leaned into the touch but didn’t say anything or make any noise.

Something about seeing the alpha grab Gerard’s neck, even though it was in a nice and gentle way brought some dark thoughts to his mind. Gerard was willingly submitting.

It still seemed a bit bizarre to Patrick. Submitting so comfortably, and even enjoying it. Not only Joe but Gerard and Brendon seemed to really enjoy sex too. They didn’t think of it as painful. He got reminded of the talk he meant to have with Joe. Though after seeing him tonight he would put it off at least until tomorrow.

For now, Patrick couldn’t help but glance over at Gerard and Frank every few minutes. The alpha had his tongue in Gerard’s ear and the omega was smiling, tilting his head in submission while his eyes slipped closed.

Patrick realized that Gerard must really be enjoying it if he were willingly submitting like that. Patrick had known that submission was something not taken lightly. At least by omegas. 

 

Alphas, for the most part, had always expected omegas to submit to them without question. If they didn’t get it by asking, they would take it. Using their alpha voice and pheromones to make the omegas obey.

Omegas, while they were naturally subservient beings, preferred to be able to choose to submit and give their beings and obedience to an alpha. Or at least choose WHO they submitted to.

Being forced to submit so often when he was first bought at thirteen had made him turn into an omega who submits almost all the time. After the first month he had stopped resisting all together. 

Most of the time he was submitting without being told. And anytime he was told to submit he obeyed instantly. Having learned all too quickly that struggling would lead to even more pain and torture. 

Thankfully that guy had never bitten his mating gland. Or his scent gland for that matter. 

But he still bit him. Just in different places.

His arms, his back, his face. Sometimes it was hard enough to break the skin.

 

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Before he was sold he didn’t have a total distrust for alphas. Really he didn’t. He trusted his brothers and a few of their friends who were nice.

It wasn’t until he woke up after three days in that basement that he lost hope. 

Everyday had been the same, everyday he would wake up to the man that bought him kicking him, hitting him with something or dumping ice water on him. 

He would get beaten for reasons that Patrick still didn’t understand. He never knew what he did to provoke the man. He had always tried his best to stay out of the way and follow every order.

The man raped him. Patrick remembered that part of his torture fairly clearly. The first time it happened it was the first day he woke up down there. 

 

Flashback…

The metal collar and chain heavy on his neck. He didn’t know what was happening. 

He just felt hands on him, tearing his clothes away and pinning him down and strapping him to a table, using an alpha command to make him stop squirming and be quiet.

He felt the man grabbing his hips harshly. He smacked him a few times, but it seemed that every time Patrick whimpered or flinched, he swung harder. His slaps turning into punches on his ribs and the back of his head.

He felt dizzy, he wanted to puke.

He felt something pushing against his hole. He panicked, not actually knowing what it was but hoping it wasn’t what he thought it was. 

But he was never that lucky.

Something was pushing into him. It felt like fire, a burning sensation inside and out.

He was crying, silent sobs because he wasn’t allowed to make noise.

“Submit.” An alpha command. He didn’t want to obey, but every one of his instincts and pheromones betrayed him, making him tilt his head and release submissive scents and auras into the air.

With every thrust he felt his body shudder and jolt forwards. 

There was something running down his legs, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

He blacked out at some point, when the pain got too bad. 

When he woke up he was alone in the basement again. He wasn’t tied to the table anymore. The collar and chain were still on him, but he was on the floor now.

Everything hurt.

There was a sharp pain and bite marks in different places, some of them bleeding, others large teeth rings covered in saliva.

Slowly he tried to sit up, but a sharp pain running from his ass all the way up his spine made him collapse to the floor again.

It was enough to make him loose his breath. He was panting for a few minutes, trying to regain his composure, he started to look around the room.

There was only one lightbulb hanging in the middle of the ceiling. His ripped clothes were laying a few feet away from him. They were shredded, he wouldn’t be able to put them on anyway.

He felt something wet on his legs and the floor under him.

He couldn’t see it from the angle he was at so he reached a hand down and tentatively touched the liquid.

When he brought his hand up to look he felt himself freeze. He started shaking again, he felt cold and sweaty all at once. Panic started to rise up inside his mind.

Blood.

It was blood.

The sight of the red fluid pitched a shot of adrenaline through him, he saw a bucket along one of the walls and made a move towards it.

He stumbled at first, collapsing after only three steps, but he was close enough to pull the bucket closer. 

He leaned over it and started retching uncontrollably. 

He lost count of how many times he actually threw up, but he still hadn’t stopped shaking.

He crawled back over to his torn-up clothes and used a piece of what used to be his t-shirt to wipe the blood off of his hands, then slowly dabbing at his legs and behind. 

Everything down there hurt, and to be honest he was afraid to reach down there, fear of what he might feel being too overwhelming.

Patrick pulled his knees up to his chest, the motion causing him even more pain, but he wanted something. A hug? He was hugging himself and crying through a stream of panic attacks. Trying to wake himself up from whatever hell this was.

He stayed up as long as he could, but every time he closed his eyes he got flashbacks of what had happened. The only time he was actually resting at all was when he was too exhausted to fight it.

Almost every day after that was a repeat of the day before. Sometimes the torture got more creative, but it never ended.

Patrick didn’t sleep much that first night, or any other night after that he was in that basement.

He would wake up every hour or so, panic and nightmares pulling him into consciousness. 

No. He never had a peaceful night after he was sold.

Not until that first night in the hospital with Pete.

 

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	61. Even the Best Fall Down Sometimes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of self harm, but not graphic, just letting you know.

Patrick didn’t know that he had slipped into a flashback. He didn’t know that his PTSD had gifted him another panic attack.

Not until he felt strong arms tightening around him. A soft voice mumbling in his ear and a hand stroking up and down his back.

Patrick opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.

He was still on the floor in the living room, but the only other person in the room was Pete. He was sitting on the floor with Patrick in between his legs, with his arms around the omegas shoulders he was holding him against his chest.

Patrick wiped at his face. He didn’t even know he was crying, he had tears coating his cheeks, Pete’s shirt had a wet spot on his chest and the alpha was murmuring in his ear.

“I’m sorry.” Patrick whispered.

Normally Pete would go into a long explanation of why Patrick shouldn’t blame himself. Right now he just wanted to get Patrick’s breathing back to normal before they talked.

Pete hushed and cooed at him for another fifteen minutes. Holding Patrick’s head against his chest so he could feel his heartbeat and try to match the pace while he filled the air with as many calm alpha pheromones as he could send out.

 

Even after Patrick got his breath back, he stayed as he was, not quite ready to move yet. 

He grabbed one of Pete’s wrists and buried his face in his shirt again, tears and snot soaking through to the alpha’s chest.

“Ya know, before I met you I was convinced that I would never find anybody that I could fall in love with. Besides Andy and Joe, people tend to think I’m too hyper, too much of a social person.” Patrick didn’t know where Pete was going with this, but his voice was calm and soothing, so he stayed quiet and listened. 

“Most people think that I’m annoying. They think I have an “unstable personality”. But, you, you never seemed bothered by me. Even when we first met, I mean you were scared and shy and quiet, but you didn’t seem to mind. When I first saw you, saw those pretty blue eyes of yours, I knew I’d do anything to keep you safe. I was wrapped around your finger before you told me your name.”

Patrick let a small smile slip at the memory.

“Trick, I promise, that you never have to go through that ever again. And I’m not saying that to convince you that nightmares stop. Because I can’t make them go away. But I can promise that they will only ever be nightmares, never reality.”

Pete tightened his arms and started swaying them again, “My nightmares coincide with my insomnia a lot. I still have them, but it helps having someone around to vent to. Even if that someone is a guitar or sheet of paper. Let it out.”

Patrick sniffled and slumped more into his boyfriend’s arms.

“I didn’t even realize it was happening.” Patrick confessed.

Pete didn’t flinch. He didn’t even seem surprised. He just nodded against Patrick’s hair.

“How long was I…” Patrick started, then he trailed off, not sure if he would want to know.

“I don’t know for sure when it started. But you were totally quiet for almost an hour, I didn’t want to draw attention by asking in front of everyone. After everyone else went to bed, I tried to get your attention. You started shaking and crying, I sat down here to try and calm you. That was about half an hour ago.”

Patrick was quiet again, at least he didn’t panic in front of everybody. 

It was another twenty minutes of silence, a comfortable silence, before Patrick realized that Pete wasn’t making any move to get up either. He would sit here on the floor and hold him all night if he needed him too.

Patrick decided it wouldn’t be good for either of them to spend the night on the floor like this. 

“I think we need to shower before we go to bed. Andy and Joe don’t need to be covered in my tears and stuff too.”

“Okay, can you walk, or do you want to be carried?” Pete asked, remembering his training about giving omegas options in stressful situations.

Patrick didn’t say anything instead he wrapped his arms around Pete’s neck and moved his legs to the side.

Pete smiled and scooped up his boyfriend as he stood.

“Petey,” 

“Hmm?”

“I think I ruined your shirt.”

“You couldn’t ruin anything if you tried.”

Patrick rolled his eyes fondly, “Pete.”

“Trick.”

Patrick smiled again, bigger this time. Pete saw it and let out a sigh of relief. At least for now what he was doing seemed to be working.

Pete carried him quietly into the bedroom, walking past a sleeping Joe and Andy reading a book.

Andy raised his eyebrow in question, expecting Pete to answer or nod. But it was Patrick who actually responded, “I’m…I’m better than I was.” His voice was just above a whisper, but he sounded convincing.

Andy smiled lightly and nodded, watching as Pete continued to the bathroom. 

 

“Shower or bath?”

For a moment Patrick couldn’t make up his mind, but at least in a bath he wouldn’t have to stand. “Bath.”

Pete knelt down and turned the water on. Looking over his shoulder at Patrick still sitting on the sink.

“You want to be by yourself or—”

“No. I want you close.” Patrick interrupted. For a moment he actually panicked at the thought of Pete not being with him.

“Trick, look at me.” Pete was standing in front of him now, “I will do anything you ask and I won’t do anything you don’t want me to.”

Patrick nodded. Pete had been telling him that for months. He believed him, but right now he couldn’t really focus enough to think straight. His mind kept wondering back to…other things.

 

Patrick didn’t notice when Pete shut the water off, but when he looked up again Pete was in front of him and the water had steam and bubbles coming off the top. Patrick didn’t say anything, just fumbled with his shirt until it was off, Pete seemed to know that he needed to do this part alone this time, he backed up and put his hand in the water again making sure it wasn’t too hot.

Patrick finished taking his clothes off and for the first time since he could remember he didn’t feel nervous or embarrassed about being naked in front of someone. Even if it was Pete.

The omega hopped down from the sink and stepped into the tub, sitting in the middle and looking at Pete until the alpha knelt down on the floor and started rubbing water and bubbles over his shoulders.

As soon as Patrick let himself fall back in the water he looked up at Pete.

Pete ran his hands up and down the omega’s arms, smiling when he heard an approving hum. For the first time this night Pete knew how to proceed.

It was silent as Pete washed him like he did before, checking Patrick’s face every few moments to make sure he wasn’t doing anything to make his boyfriend uncomfortable. 

When he was done, he leaned back and waited to see what Patrick wanted to do, he just rested against the wall and grabbed Pete’s wrist.

 

Patrick didn’t quite no how to react to today’s events. This attack wasn’t caused by anyone touching him. He saw Gerard submitting and his thoughts spiraled down into a horrible memory. And why now? Why not when he first got rescued? He’d been doing so well.

He contemplated these thoughts as he played with his boyfriend’s hand and wrist. Turning it over in his fingers he traced the lines on Pete’s hand, down to his veins and his assortment of bracelets.

Pete had been wearing these bracelets since Patrick first saw him. He even had them on in the shower everyday. They looked homemade, braided bands and elastic strings that intertwined and covered most of his wrist. It was really intricate. Something he couldn’t imagine Pete taking the time to do. 

The more he stared at the braided lines the more he saw beneath them.

Pete had little white lines of scars decorating his wrist. 

Some were short and faint, others were long and dark. He hadn’t noticed, how could he have not noticed something like this before.

His heart rate picked up as he started to panic again. How could he not have noticed? They looked old but…was Pete still…

“Trick.” Pete called out to him to get his attention, sitting him up and turning Patrick’s face to look at him instead of his wrist.

He could tell when the omega noticed his scars, he felt his body tense and his heart beating faster through his fingertips.

“Patrick, you hearing me?”

He waited for Patrick to nod and meet his eyes, then took a deep breath, “When I was a teenage I…my depression was pretty bad. I used to…do stuff like this. Not always cutting but, anything that would hurt. I needed to feel something. I wanted to control something, and this was a way to get it for me.”

Patrick stared into Pete’s eyes, “How long since the last time?”

“I haven’t done it since I was fifteen.”

Patrick let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, “Good.”

When he looked down at Pete’s wrist again the bigger, wider one caught his attention again. He traced his fingers over it and looked back at Pete, a silent question hanging in the air.

“That was the last. I went a bit too deep. Andy, he uh…found me. I woke up in the hospital the next day and he just, we had a long talk and figured some things out. He…saved me. Kept a close eye on me after that, took care of me and made sure I was taking care of myself.”

“Remind me to thank him.”

 

Patrick stayed in the water until it lost its warmth. When he got out Pete wrapped a big fluffy towel around him and sat him on the sink again while he went to get him some clothes.

Pete dressed him and rubbed his hair with another towel until it was mostly dry.

“I need to get a quick shower; you want to go lay down with Andy and Joe or wait here?”

“I’ll…go lay down?” Patrick said it more as a question. He didn’t know why but he couldn’t help it coming out that way.

“Okay. You wanna walk or be carried?”

Patrick didn’t say anything again, just raised his arms slightly. Thankfully Pete took the hint and slid an arm under his knees to scoop him up.

Back in the bedroom Andy was still awake, still buried in his book but he looked up again when his friends entered the room.

Pete sat Patrick down next to Joe and pulled the covers over his lap. “I won’t be long.” Pete looked from Patrick up to Andy. The other alpha smiled and nodded, he would look after Patrick for him.

Andy looked over to Patrick when Pete went back to shower. The omega was sitting still, just staring at the bathroom door like he was trying to make Pete reappear with his mind.

“Patrick?”

Patrick stared at Andy for what seemed like an eternity, then said, “I…I don’t know why it happened so bad this time.”

“Everybody has good days and bad days. You can’t always know what a trigger will be. What were you thinking about when you got scared?”

Patrick sighed, “Submitting. I just, it was never an option before. It was always forced, taken from me. Gerard was doing it willingly. But the idea, it just…” Patrick shook his head and looked down.

“That’s how flashbacks and PTSD work. Some triggers happen instantly, and some build up over time.”

“What if I’m never okay?”

“It’s okay to not be okay. Even bad feelings are valid. You just have to figure out the best way to cope with them in a way that works for you.”

Patrick thought for a minutes, mostly about what Pete had said earlier.

“Is that why Pete hurt himself? Cause he didn’t have another way to cope?”

Andy was only slightly surprised, Pete didn’t usually like talking about that part of his past, he preferred it to stay in the part of his life that was over. Truthfully Andy didn’t like talking about it either. The image of finding Pete unconscious with blood pooling at his wrist haunted him to this day.

“Yeah partly.”

Patrick could tell Andy was uncomfortable, “He says you saved him.” Patrick looked at Andy, noticed the intake of breath from the alpha. “Thank you.”

Andy smiled, “Don’t thank me. I need him as much as he needs me. I never should’ve had to save him.” The last part he said more to himself, looking down at his mate. 

Patrick followed his eyes and looked at Joe too. The curly haired omega was still sound asleep.

Something about how peaceful Joe looked made Patrick’s nerves settle some more. He reached out to play with one of Joe’s curls.

“Joe was afraid to submit too when we first got together. He didn’t submit until we mated. Since then when he does it’s only when he wants.”

“I need to talk to him tomorrow. He has a way of explaining things that doesn’t scare me.”

Andy smiled, “Before you two met that day at the hospital he begged Pete everyday to take him in to meet you. He loves talking to you. Being stuck only talking to me and Pete for so long, I don’t think he realized how nice it is to be around another omega until you. Gerard and Brendon always came around, but they could never stay long.”

“I didn’t even know that Gee and Bren were omegas until we got together again at the concert. But Joe was the first omega that I ever met. He seems so happy being an omega.”

“He is. He wasn’t always happy, but I think he found a way to cope that worked. It worked so well that he’s finally happy with who he is.”

 

Pete came out of the bathroom then, with just a towel on and looked back and forth from Patrick to Andy a few times, as if he were looking for a sign that something had happened.

“We’re okay.”

A sigh escaped Pete, finally he thought, they were back on some kind of familiar ground.

Pete walked over to the bed, about to lay down when Andy said, “Ah ah, at least put some boxers on Petey.”

In his excitement for Patrick feeling and looking calm he forgot he wasn’t wearing anything yet.

“Right, sorry.” He turned and grabbed a pair of Andy’s boxers and shirt, pulling them on while Andy rolled his eyes and Patrick blushed.

When Pete finally settled down on the bed, Patrick moved close to Joe and held onto one of the omega’s hands, then pulled one of Pete’s arms around him so he was sandwiched between them tightly.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight baby.”

 

Patrick actually slept soundly that night, the exhaustion overtaking him and letting him fall into a peaceful slumber with Pete pressed against his back and Joe snuggled into his front. Pete stay awake of course, his insomnia kicking up with his worry for his boyfriend, but he was happy to keep vigil over the omega if it meant keeping him safe, even from his own mind.


	62. Always Keep Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is cuddly.

Waking up the next morning Andy was relieved to see that Pete was sound asleep. His best friend had struggled with insomnia for almost as long as he knew him. 

Pete’s father didn’t really ever pay attention or care much when Pete told him he had trouble sleeping or had night terrors. And his mother didn't want to upset his father so she pretended she didn't notice. It was Andy who went with him to a doctor when they were sixteen.

Pete had always snuck out of his own house when he couldn’t sleep and crawl through Andy’s window. For some reason he always slept better with Andy close by. 

 

Flashback…

Andy was laying in his bed, trying to figure out a way to get himself and Pete out of this town.

They couldn’t just run away, Pete’s father would come look for them, his mother would send someone to find him. They might be punished by not being able to see each other anymore. But who know what punishment Pete’s father would come up with. 

Andy’s mother is pretty laid back, raising him herself, she wasn’t particularly strict with him, but she never really needed to be. He always tried to be mature and helpful because he saw how hard it was for her to raise him alone.

Pete’s parents on the other hand, well they could go either way. Sometimes it seemed like his mother and father were from different planets. His father was strict, old fashioned, never did anything that he thought might make the pack alpha angry. His mother, for the most part went along, despite not agreeing with him. She was usually pretty relaxed about things, didn’t take any of it too seriously.

Andy was lying on his side, facing away from his window, when he heard it sliding open.

He didn’t have to look behind him to know it was Pete. He doubts a serial killer would take the time to remove his shoes and coat before walking further into the room.

He felt his bed dip behind him and his covers lift slightly.

Pete didn’t say anything, didn’t move, or reach out to touch Andy at all. Really, he thought he was asleep. He didn’t want to wake him up or disturb him, so he just stayed still, staring at the back of his best friend’s head.

Andy waited a moment to see what Pete would do, then turned over and threw his arm over the other’s shoulders, pulling him closer and nuzzling his hair.

“Sorry if I—”

“I was already awake.” Andy opened his eyes and looked down at his friend. Pete just stared back at him, not saying anything. Not anything out loud anyway.

Pete had a black eye and his bottom lip was split. No doubt from a punishment for his night terrors. 

He would wake up screaming from a nightmare and wake up his parents, resulting in an angry father who would take Pete to their pack’s ‘disciplinarian’. An alpha who was in charge of making sure everyone stayed in line with the pack’s rules. He would make him fight another alpha until one of them was knocked out.

“I promise, someday you and me are gonna get out of here.” Andy put his hand on the side of Pete’s face and stroked his thumb over his cheek.

“They’ll come after us.”

“Not if were eighteen.”

“That’s a long three years away.”

“Yeah, but it’s ONLY three years away.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can take it.” A tear escaped down Pete’s face. Something else he was only allowed to do in front of Andy.

Andy wiped away the tears, “Are you still cutting?”

It had been a month since Andy found Pete on his bedroom floor.

“No.” His tone and eyes told Andy that he was telling the truth.

“Petey, I promise, if you can trust me, I’ll get us out of here. We don’t ever have to come back. Just keep fighting.”

“I do trust you.”

“Then promise me that you’ll keep fighting. Don’t give up on yourself.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Pete looked for all the world like a scared toddler who had seen too much in his short life.

“Then fight for me. Okay? I’ll fight for you and you fight for me.”

“Okay…I promise. I’ll try.”

 

It was quiet for a long moment, the silence comfortable and calm.

“I made something for you.” Andy rolled over and reached in his nightstand for something.

Pete lifted his head a bit to peek over Andy’s shoulder but whatever his friend had was concealed in his hand.

“Close your eyes.”

Pete obeyed immediately.

He felt Andy pick up his wrist, then something wrapped around it, it almost felt like a net. Andy fiddled with it some more, tying it into place. Pete felt it tighten a bit, not enough to rub against his skin but it felt secure. 

“Okay, open.” Andy let go of Pete’s wrist and watched to see his reaction.

Pete looked down and saw it was a bracelet. A very intricate, braided pattern, that was woven into a looped netting that wrapped around his wrist.

“It’s nylon. So its elastic and its waterproof. Anytime you feel like hurting yourself you can pull at it.”

Pete ran his fingers over the strings, “Thank you Andy. This means more to me than…I’ll never take it off.” Pete’s eyes got glassy again.

Andy just hugged him and rested his chin on top of Pete’s head. “M’glad you like it.”

Andy held Pete close that night, and almost every night after. His happiest times were with Andy. He felt safe, healthy. Anytime Pete could get away he would stay with Andy.

Pete would stay awake until he was sure his parents were asleep, then sneak out of his window and into Andy’s. Then in the morning he would sneak back in before his parents could catch him.

At one point, Pete’s parents had to go out of town on a recruiting mission for their pack, he spent the entire three months that they were gone at Andy’s.

The day his parents left he packed up his stuff and ran to Andy’s house. Not wanting to spend any more time at his own house than he had to. In his excitement he neglected to call first and see if he could stay, but when Andy unlocked his front door and saw Pete’s bag, he just opened his arms and said, “Welcome home.”

He slept in Andy’s bed with him, neither of them even thinking of an alternative. It was nice to be close, and Pete knew that as soon as his parents were back, he would need to sneak out to be close to someone who cared this much about him. He’d take all of it he could get.

A lot was different for Pete at Andy’s house. 

For the first time in his life he wasn’t afraid of what would happen if he had a nightmare. Andy would always cuddle him and wait for him to feel calm again while Pete apologized over and over.

He was eating more regularly and healthier thanks to Andy’s diet. Andy is a vegan and even though he never pushed Pete to be one too it was an option. Some of it was actually good, Pete would try Andy’s food, if he didn’t like it then he could eat what Ms. Hurley was eating. 

Most of all he felt…happy. 

 

End Flashback…

 

Slowly Andy climbed out of bed, kissing Joe on the forehead and walking around to Pete. He pulled the covers up over him some more and brushed a hand through the other alpha’s hair.

Andy moved to pull the blinds and curtains closed, hoping to keep his friends asleep a little longer. 

Today he was going to look at the house they picked out and he would need to take one of the others with him. Well, not really need, but want. He preferred the idea of taking Pete. But then they would need to leave Patrick and Joe with their friends.

Not that he didn’t trust them. Joe would be fine. But after Patrick panicking last night, he wasn’t sure if Pete would be comfortable leaving him with anybody.

Taking any of the omegas with them to the viewing without knowing how the realtor would treat them is a gamble. A gamble that Andy is not willing to take.

Nevertheless, the omegas would need to see the house too before they bought it. If everybody went, he could go in first and see how things are while the omegas wait in the cars with the others. It seemed like the most logical plan.

When he walked into the kitchen, he saw that Gerard was already cooking breakfast. 

“Frank is talking to the realtor now.” Gerard nodded towards the living room.

“Thanks Gee.” 

Andy walked into the living room just as Frank was hanging up.

“Today at 2pm.” Frank said when he looked up.

“We need to figure out how were going to do this. I want everybody to see it before we make an offer, but I don’t want to take the omegas there without knowing how the realtor will be.”

“She’s a beta, I met her at her office when I got the files. She has an omega assistant. Maybe a bit old fashioned with how she interacts with her omega, but I didn’t see any signs of abuse.”

“Good. Let Tyler and Josh know, we’ll all go, but nobody goes off alone.”

“You got it boss.”

“Don’t call me boss.”

Frank was only joking and he knew Andy wasn’t mad, not really. But he saw a solid opportunity to tease his future alpha a bit.

“Yes alpha.”

“Frank.” Andy rolled his eyes and tried to use his best serious voice.

“Sir? Mr. Hurley? Chief?” The smile was steadily growing on Frank’s face.

Andy took a deep breath, planning on a comeback but ended up grinning to himself. Instead of saying anything he picked up a couch pillow and hit Frank in the head with it.

The other alpha didn’t hesitate to grab another pillow and swing back, turning it into an aggressive pillow fight.

 

They were interrupted a few minutes later by Gerard announcing breakfast was ready, both walking back to the kitchen laughing.

Frank walked over to Gerard and kissed his cheek, “Thanks for cooking baby, go tell Bren and them that it’s time to eat.”

Gerard just nodded and went to turn out of the room when Frank smacked his ass. 

The omega turned with a glare, “Watch it babe, I’m not as nice as Andy, I’ll smack ya with a guitar instead of a pillow.” An empty threat, for the most part. But it made Frank smirk and throw his hands up in surrender before grabbing a plate.

 

Everyone except Pete, Joe and Patrick were eating in the living room. They were still sleeping, and Andy planned on keeping it that way for as long as he could before they had to go look at the house.

Brendon looked towards the bedroom when he sat down, “They okay?”

“Just tired, they had a long day and night yesterday.” Andy replied gently.

“His heat isn’t setting in yet is it?” Josh looked worried, “I mean it would be easier on him if we were in a house before that happened. Give him some space at least.”

“It’s not his heat. I actually haven’t sensed any sign of it yet, but that’s one of the reasons why I want to move in as soon as possible.”

“Is Pete okay with this, he seemed pretty quiet when we were first talking about it?”

“Yeah, he’s happy about it. It’s not really the house he’s anxious about. He’s been stressed for a while.”

“Do you think seeing the house will help?”

“Maybe. He was calmer last night than he has been. That’s why I’m trying to put off waking them up.”

 

It was another hour before Pete woke up, carefully sliding out of bed so he wouldn’t disturb the omegas still asleep. He pulled a pair of pants and grabbed one of Andy’s sweatshirts before slipping out as quietly as possible.

 

“Morning.” Pete mumbled through a yawn as he entered the kitchen.

Tyler was doing the dishes, humming quietly to something in his head.

Pete’s glance gets caught by the time on the stove, 11:33am, “Huh, I did sleep late didn’t I.”

“There’s leftovers if you’re hungry.” Tyler said, nodding towards the stove.

“M’not really hungry. Joe and Patrick can finish it off later.”

“Frank got us an appointment with the realtor to look at that house this afternoon.”

“Good. Sooner we get settled the better.”

Tyler looked up, “Excited to have some space back?”

“Not just that. I mean having everyone close had been fun. But with Patrick just barely settling in himself I think he needs time to adjust. Especially if his heat comes soon. I want him to feel comfortable in his surroundings before it hits him.”

“Yeah, I have the same thoughts about B. He isn’t on suppressants. We offered, when we first all got together, me and Josh told him we would get him some, but he refused.”

“Well, that’s his choice, I guess. I haven’t met very many that are comfortable without. Joe wasn’t really comfortable until he got some.”

“B seems to be the opposite. He enjoys them, or at least he enjoys the attention he gets.”

“Is his heat soon?”

“A couple of weeks.”

“We better try to get into a house quick then.”

“Yeah, one omega’s heat on the way, another omega’s heat that could happen at any moment, not to mention three alphas in rut. What could possibly go wrong?”

Pete knew Tyler was being sarcastic, but it didn’t take away any of the validity of his words.

 

Around noon Joe woke up. He knew he slept late today, he usually did on the day after him and Andy had some fun. He didn’t expect Patrick to still be curled up in his arms.

He had a fleeting thought about going out to get something to eat but the idea of Patrick waking up alone made him want to stay where he was for eternity.

He watched Patrick’s sleeping form for a few minutes. The other omega’s breathing sped up a bit, his eyelids began fluttering quicker. He must be dreaming, his hands twitched and a tendon in his neck tensed. 

He started mumbling and whining lightly. Joe could smell the submission coming off of him when he begged for something to stop.

“Patrick?” Joe shook lightly at his shoulder. “Patrick wake up.”

It was a few moments before Patrick’s eyes snapped open, he seemed frozen for a moment. Glancing around quickly to take in his surroundings. His eyes locked with Joe’s and just like that his heartbeat returned to a steadier pace.

“Sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize Patrick. Everybody has nightmares. Besides, I woke up a few minutes ago.” 

“Oh.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Patrick thought for a moment, “Maybe…”

“Then I am all ears.”

“They’re not new. But they never change, and they don’t go away. Not really. Some nights I don’t remember having them, some nights I have more than one.”

“You think this one happened because of yesterday?”

“Pete told you?”

“No. He didn’t have to. I saw how out of it you were before me and Andy came to bed. I don’t know any details. But I know it had something to do with Gee. You kept glancing over at him.”

“He was submitting. It, it triggered a lot of stuff. I don’t even know why. I know it was consensual and he was doing it willingly. I just, I don’t understand how he could be happy doing it?”

“Submission can be great, if it’s done right. I don’t do it all too often. I never do it when I don’t want. Behaving submissively and actually submitting are different too.”

“I had a bunch of flashbacks, of the first time he…first time he made me submit.” Patrick was getting choked up, his heartbeat picking up some while he sniffled.

“It was never a choice. It was always forced and painful and if I tried to fight it he would…” Patrick closed his eyes and squeezed Joe’s hand.

“You don’t ever have to worry about it again. Pete will never force you to do anything.”

“I know. And I know I’m safe here. I just don’t understand why it’s happening now. I just, I’ve had nightmares about what happened…since even before I was rescued. But these flashbacks and panic attacks are new.”

“Maybe it’s because you’ve been busy. Distracted ever since you were rescued. I mean you got out of there and you were surrounded by new things to keep your mind busy. Pete, us, your brothers and mom. Seeing Gee and Bren again after all these years. Meeting their mates. The concert. Now everything is kind of settling down. Maybe your mind is settling and it’s got more time to focus on stuff again.”

“Sounds smart. But if you’re right then that means that every time I relax my mind is vulnerable to a panic attack.”

“I didn’t mean it to sound like that.” Joe started to feel guilty. 

“I know. What do I do?” Patrick was still crying slightly. He wasn’t sobbing but there were tears slipping down his cheeks.

“Find a coping strategy and run with it. Kick anxiety's ass.”

“You sound like Pete.” Patrick let out a small smile, something Joe took as a sign to keep things light.

“I’ll take that as a compliment."

"What could I use as an outlet?"

"Music worked before.”

“Ah, Trohman’s Therapy.”

“We could go write today. Get your mind focusing on something else.”

“I think I’d like that.”

“For now, we need to get dressed, because I think we have a house to see.”

Patrick remembered thinking about the house yesterday. He should tell Joe about the basement. At least someone will know. That way if this house has one, he won’t have to explain to everyone why he doesn’t want to go down.

“Joe, I wasn’t going to mention anything, but, if the house has a basement…I don’t think I’ll be able to handle going down to it. For those years with…him...I was only ever kept in a basement. I don’t want to go back in one.”

It broke Joe’s heart, but it made him feel a sense of pride that Patrick felt comfortable enough with him to tell him his fears. He gave a gentle smile, “If there is one, neither of us will go down. Promise.”

 

When they finished getting dressed and walked out of the bedroom Patrick realized they were the last ones up and going into the living room would make everyone look at them. He didn’t think he was up for that. 

He grabbed Joe’s hand and hid behind his shoulder as they walked into the room.

Pete looked up and smiled, he was going to say something cheesy about ‘Sleeping Beauties’ but after one look from Joe he backed off.

He didn’t know why Patrick was hiding but when Joe pulled Patrick to sit next to him he saw the streaks of tear stains on his face. He wasn’t looking at anyone, just staring down at his and Joe’s hands.

Pete locked eyes with Andy and when the other alpha shook his head, he kept quiet all together, instead just reaching out to touch Patrick’s hair.

The omega gave him a small smile and leaned into the touch, something that calmed Pete’s nerves and anxiety a bit.

 

“Alright,” Andy broke the silence, “You two need to eat something, everybody else get ready. We’ll leave in a half hour.”

Everybody broke apart in different directions. Joe stood up to head to the kitchen, pulling Patrick along behind him.

“What do you think that was about?” Pete asked as he watched them leave.

“Seems like they had a talk.”

“Patrick was crying.”

“Maybe it made him feel better. Sometimes crying helps. Its like a release. Besides I told you before, nobody understands an omega better than another omega. They probably had a nice talk and it was therapeutic in some way.”

“Maybe.”

“He smiled and didn’t pull away from your touch. He isn’t out of it like yesterday, maybe he just needs to be close to another omega.” Andy was trying to comfort his friend.

He knew Pete would see the bad signs before the good. While Pete was looking at Patrick, Andy caught Joe’s eye. His omega smiled and nodded. As far as he’s concerned, they’re okay for now.


	63. Houses and Stuff

The ride to the house was somewhat tense. 

Patrick still hadn’t left Joe’s side, they were in the back seat and he was still quiet as they rode to the house. 

Pete kept glancing not so subtly over his shoulder at his boyfriend trying to figure out how to help but not wanting to interfere with whatever version of therapy Joe was giving him.

Patrick always seemed calmer after he spent some time with the other omega.

Pete figures Andy must be right about omegas understanding omegas.

 

They followed behind Frank who was driving in his car with the others.

The house was only about twenty minutes away, back in the hills of Hollywood. Close to the main drag where their usual clubs for shows were located, but far enough from the city that it was safe.

It had a gate separating the driveway from the main road and a twelve-foot wall around the property.

The house was a two-story kind of C-shaped lay out. The center had a patio that led to a pool and backyard.

The realtor was already pulled up in front of the house so Andy and Frank got out first.

“Hello again. This is Andrew Hurley.” Frank introduced them.

She said a few things about the house and where they would start the tour but for now Andy was focused on finding out if it was alright that everybody else came along. Namely the omegas.

The realtor woman had an omega with her. Probably the assistant that Frank mentioned. 

The omega was a young girl, she kept her head down and hadn’t said anything, but she also looked well cared for and was fully dressed. Andy figured maybe it was similar to how Joe was in public. Behaving for the sake of others.

The realtor caught him looking and said, “This is my omega. Is it alright that I bring her along? She can wait out here if you’re not comfortable having her near.” The realtor looked hopeful.

Andy realized then that she must not look down on omegas much, if at all.

“Actually, the rest of our pack is here. We have a few omegas of our own that we would like to join us.”

“They’re more than welcome.” 

Andy turned towards the cars and waved his arm, gesturing for the others to come over.

Patrick let go of Joe and clung to Pete instead, but made sure Joe was on his other side. 

The idea of being in a strange house with people he didn’t know made him uneasy. The comfort of touching Pete being his anchor to reality right now.

When Joe got closer Andy put an arm over his shoulders, “This is my mate Joe.” 

Truthfully, he was hoping that by showing her how he treated Joe it would make her realize that her own omega didn’t need to behave like that.

It must’ve worked, the realtor woman looked relieved. She turned to her own omega to whisper something.

After a moment she looked up and glanced at everyone. She still seemed nervous, but at least she wasn’t acting like a mindless servant anymore.

Gerard and Brendon didn’t seem nervous at all. They happily followed behind Joe and Patrick, talking freely and messing with each other when they thought nobody was looking.

Walking in they could see a it was a large space, void of any furniture but with the nine of them Andy figures it will fill up quickly. 

They walked from room to room on the main floor, the realtor giving various architecture and design facts. Not many of them really cared about the information, but she was nice and they didn’t want to come off as rude.

Joe immediately lit up when they got to the kitchen, throwing an arm over Pete’s shoulder, “Pete you better be ready to wear an apron.”

A few laughs and eye rolls were sent his way from the rest of the pack, the realtor lady just looked surprised. 

She was constantly glancing between Joe and Andy as if she were waiting for something. 

She reminded Patrick of the check-out lady in Hot Topic that was afraid of Pete punishing him.

The tour of the upstairs went fairly well. Joe, Gerard and Brendon were chattering happily about which room they would want. Even Patrick joined in their conversations, however he never let go of Pete. 

Tyler, Josh and Frank stayed back. Interested only if their omegas were, they weren’t particularly picky about the house. Not that they didn’t care, but if Gerard and Brendon were happy then they would live anywhere.

Andy listened intently to what the realtor was saying, trying to give her his attention and trusting Joe to be looked after by his pack as the rest of them all got distracted in their own conversations.

When they got to the back yard and Patrick saw the big wall surrounding the property, he relaxed a bit. When the realtor mentioned the security system, he loosened his grip on Pete’s arm and actually let himself look around some more.

Josh was happy about the pool, maybe too happy. He picked up Brendon and swung him over the edge of the water, threatening to toss him in. Only stopping when Tyler sent them both a look.

The realtor didn’t seem to mind, her assistant actually cracked a smile and watched with an amused glint in her eyes.

Once they were back inside Patrick hid himself behind Pete again.

“As you can see there is plenty of storage space, there is a basement through here.” The realtor led them to a small out cove with a door that opened to stairs.

Mostly everybody followed her downstairs. 

Mostly. 

Pete started to follow but stopped when he felt the way Patrick’s grip tightened at the mention of ‘basement’. Or the way that Joe suddenly appeared on Patrick’s other side again. This time putting an arm around him and whispering something so only he would hear.

Patrick had a similar look on his face to the one he had last night. He looked like he was out of it. Slipping into whatever panicked mindset he was trapped in before.

“Trick?” Pete tried. 

Patrick was whispering something back to Joe before he turned to face Pete. “Please don’t make me go down there.”

To say Pete was surprised was an understatement but he was more confused right now. Patrick sounded scared.

“We don’t have to go down. I’m not gonna make you do anything. Are you okay though?”

“Tell him.” Joe said gently, keeping his promise of staying close to Patrick.

Patrick looked to Joe then back to Pete, “I don’t want to go in a basement. Not here and not anywhere else ever again. Before you rescued me…”

How could Pete not have put it together; the alpha was kicking himself for not realizing what it was that had his boyfriend so nervous. He should’ve known that Patrick would have a fear of basements.

“Its okay. You don’t have to. Never again, I promise.”

“Thanks.” Patrick’s breathing was shaky, but he was much calmer now.

“C’mon. Let’s go sit outside.” Joe suggested, wanting nothing more than to get Patrick away from the basement door.

“Well, what do guys you think about the house?” Joe asked.

“I like it. There’s plenty of space for everyone. It’s safe.” Pete replied hoping that if he kept things light Patrick might not panic too much.

Patrick smiled a bit at that. “I really like the wall…and the security system.”

“Me too. I think it’s also one of Gee’s favorite parts.”

“It’s a lot of our favorite parts. It’s got cameras, motion sensors, and alarms.” Pete really was happy about the system. It put his mind at ease to think that there would be an extra level of safety for the pack. It seemed to make Patrick calmer too.

 

Andy noticed that Pete, Joe and Patrick stayed upstairs. 

He didn’t say anything, mainly because his bonds with Joe and Pete felt calm for the most part, he just hoped they were really alright.

Back upstairs Andy let out a sigh of relief when he saw his friends and mate sitting outside smiling. At least they were safe.

“That concludes our tour, Any questions?” 

While Brendon and Gerard distracted her with questions about whether or not it was haunted Andy walked out to get the others.

“Everything okay?” He asked as he approached them.

“Sorry Andy, it’s my fault.” Patrick mumbled.

“Don’t even think about thinking anything is wrong, or that you did anything wrong.” Joe scolded, albeit gently.

Andy raised his eyebrow at his mate, expecting an explanation but getting a stern look instead.

“Tour over?” Pete asked, trying to change the subject.

“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure you guys were good.” Andy said carefully.

“We’re good.”

“We’ll explain on the way back to the apartment.” Joe added.

Andy nodded and led them back to the others, noticing the realtor and her omega were gone.

So far, the house seemed perfect, once they get everybody’s vote, they’ll put in an offer. 

“They stepped outside, so what do we think?” Frank asked, looking around at everybody.

A round of various replies came out.

“Perfect.”

“I like it.”

“I vote yes.”

“I’m in.”

“Well if everybody’s in then I guess it’s settled.”

“Great, I’ll go tell her and get the paperwork.” Frank seemed to be excited to get things done. Mostly he just wanted to get it over with and get everything settled.

 

They got the papers signed and gave her a price, she promised to call within a few days and let them know whether or not they got it.

"Great this is gonna be the longest two days ever." Brendon whined.

"It'll be here quicker than you realize." Tyler mumbled, pulling Brendon close to kiss his temple. "Be patient."

"Easy for you to say." Brendon muttered under his breath, but he didn't complain any further.

 

Everybody was back in the cars when Joe turned around in his seat to look at Patrick, “Can I tell him, or do you want to?”

This caught Andy’s attention, and he was reminded that they were gonna explain something to him.

He hoped it wasn't anything too bad, if they were gonna get moved into a new house he wanted everything as calm as possible.

“You go ahead.” Patrick didn’t feel much like talking.

"The idea of basements, its a trigger. One that he's aware of. He was...kept in a basement for all those years before Pete found him. Going back in one would bring him more flashbacks."

"Did you have another one today?" Andy's voice was gentle.

“Patrick didn’t and doesn’t want to go into any basements. And after everything that happened to him in that basement before he was rescued, he shouldn’t ever have to.” Joe’s voice was getting defensive, despite him knowing it was only Andy he was talking to.

Andy just smiled gently at Joe, then to Patrick in the mirror and nodded, “You don’t have to. I’m glad you didn’t force yourself today.” 

He turned to his mate, “I’m glad you stayed with him.”

Patrick caught Andy’s smile and returned it, thankful that everyone seemed to be okay with accepting him and relaxed against Pete as the alpha nuzzled his hair.

Joe looked over at his alpha, grinned and mouthed “Love you”.

 

 

Everyone was sitting in the living room eating dinner.

“If we get it she said we’re free to move in by next week. We just need to meet with her to pick up the keys. So that means that we all need to start packing.”

“A lot of our stuff is back in Chicago and New York. We’ll need to fly back there to pack and we’ll rent a uhaul to drive everything back here.” Frank said to Gerard.

“Good. I need to tell Mikey anyway.”

“You didn’t tell him we’re joining Andy’s pack?”

“He didn’t ask and I figured it isn’t something that should be said over the phone.”

“We’ll fly back to Chicago and get your things. Then we’ll drive to Ohio and get the rest of me and Ty’s stuff.” Josh turned to Brendon.

“Okay. When? Cause, I don’t know if you’ve noticed but my heat is close.”

“We’ll spend your heat in Chicago.”

 

“In the mean-time, the four of us need to start packing up this place.” Andy stated. Secretly glad that he didn’t have to drive or fly anywhere.

Pete made a mental note to ask Patrick about his stuff at his childhood home. Surely there was things that his mother and brothers had held onto. Maybe he wants them?

 

“When will we leave?”

“Not until after we find out if we get the house or not.”

 

Later that night Joe pulled Patrick into their ‘studio’ and placed a keyboard, pen and tablet into his lap, “Time for Trohman’s Therapy.”

Patrick smiled and watched Joe pick up his guitar and strum a few chords.

It was hours later, and Patrick had a few pages of music notes and recordings on Garageband.

“How do you feel?” Joe asked as they left the room.

“Amazing. I think you might be onto something with your methods of therapy.” Patrick said honestly. He hasn’t felt this relaxed in a while.

“Good. Anything you thinking about adding words to?”

“Maybe, I was never really one for writing lyrics.”

“Well good news then, your boyfriend and future mate happens to be an amazing lyricist.”

“I know. Maybe I’ll show him at some point. I don’t think it’s ready yet though.”

“Fair enough. You know your own music better than anybody else.”

 

The next day…

Patrick and Pete were sitting at the diner eating lunch. 

Pete was trying to figure out a way to bring up his childhood home and ask him about any of his stuff.

“Trick?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I ask you something?”

Pete looked nervous. Something that Patrick came to realize meant that whatever Pete was going to ask was probably something the alpha thought might be triggering.

If it was triggering it was probably about his past.

“Of course.”

Patrick didn’t like talking about his past, but he would never say no to Pete.

“Your…I just, I’ve wanted to ask this since we looked at the house. Is there anything that you might want, ya know from your childhood home?” Pete finished quietly, eyes scanning Patrick for signs of distress.

Patrick relaxed, he didn’t know what he was expecting but that wasn’t it.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it. I don’t even know if they kept anything.”

“We could call.”

“Okay. But just Ben. I don’t want to ask my mother.”

“Anything you say. If there is stuff, would you want to go back and get it, or have Ben send it out?”

Patrick couldn’t decide. He wanted for so many years to see his room again. Now that he has the option he wonders if it’s even a good idea. What if he get’s triggered there? What if there isn’t anything left? What if there isn’t anything to see?

Pete seemed to notice his dilemma and placed his hands over Patrick’s, “Hey,” He waited for Patrick to look at him, “How about we call Ben, and then you can decide?”

“Okay.” Patrick figured its best not to get his hopes up too much. His mother and brothers might not have kept any of his stuff.

 

 

When they left they went to the park and found a bench to sit on while they called Ben.

“Hello?” Ben’s voice came through the speaker.

Patrick said a small hi, but his nerves got the better of him and he looked at Pete with pleading eyes.

“Hey Ben, its Pete.”

“Hi Pete. Everything okay? Is Patrick okay?” Ben started to sound panicked.

“I’m okay.” Patrick’s voice was small again.

“He’s just a bit nervous. We need to ask you something.”

“Anything.” Ben sounded relieved and a bit nervous all at once.

“Is there anything, like from Patrick’s childhood, that is still there at the house?”

“Of course.”

“Really?” Patrick was too surprised to stop himself from asking.

“Trick, we never got rid of anything. Your room is just as it was the day you…” Ben trailed off when he realized what he was saying.

Patrick looked up at Pete and immediately the alpha knew. 

“We’ll be coming out there soon then.”

“Really? That’s great, I can’t wait to see you!”

"Don't tell mom. Please."

"Wouldn't dream of it. She's...she's back to how she was before, just kind of in a trance. I don't think it would do any good anyway."

“Thanks, we’ll let you know when we leave.”

“Alright, talk to ya soon.”

“Bye.” Pete hung up, still staring at Patrick.


	64. I'm The Best You'll Never Have

“Trick, you alright?”

The omega was so still, Pete couldn’t tell if he was in shock or just thinking.

“Yeah, er, I just…I didn’t think they would…”

“They love you Trick.”

“I know…I know, but…I spent all this time…thinking I would never…”

Patrick couldn’t believe he would actually be seeing his old room again, let alone his childhood home or even just Chicago.

“Do you want to stay at the house or a hotel?”

Patrick flinched at the thought of staying too close to his mother. They hadn’t exactly parted on good terms. He felt safer and happier when they had some space from each other in LA. 

But he also wanted to visit his old room. The idea of sleeping in it again is surreal, he just didn’t know if he wanted to or not.

“I’m not sure yet.”

Pete nodded and let out a quiet sight of relief. At least Patrick had reservations too.

The idea of being near Patricia was a bit unsettling. Pete wasn’t her favorite person and she wasn’t really mentally stable.

In her own home she might resort to more questionable behavior. Pete made a mental note to never let her alone with Patrick. He couldn’t risk anything happening to the omega.

“Maybe, I mean if Gee and Bren are going back too maybe we can stay with them?” Patrick looked hopeful when he brought it up. Pete wanted to remind him that he could have his way without asking but it didn’t seem like the appropriate time.

“Would that be at Gee’s parents’ house?”

“Yeah, they were always supportive of omega rights. Took care of Gee and Bren after he presented too.”

“Sounds fun. Do you think they’ll mind?”

“I don’t think so. I’ll ask Gee later just to be sure.”

“Did they live close to you?”

“Mmhm, down the street. B wasn’t too much farther.”

“Okay, we’ll ride back with Frank and Gee then. They’re going to fly to New York first, then they’re driving to Chicago. Tyler, Josh and B are going to spend his heat in Chicago, then drive to Ohio, and then back here.”

 

The two days of waiting on news about the house drug on slowly. 

Patrick spent most of his time writing and recording a few things. It really did help him get out some of his angst. 

He had to remember to thank Joe for suggesting it again, the curly haired guy was on to something.

Everybody was checking in with Andy and Frank every few hours to see if they got a call.

Then one day at work Andy felt his phone vibrate in his pocket.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Hurley, good news, they accepted your offer. Just stop in my office to sign the forms and pick up your keys any time after next Friday.”

“Thank you. See you then.”

Joe had been watching Andy talk, and grew more and more impatient as the alpha hung up. His facial expression not giving anything away.

“Well?”

“Start packing.”

“Yes!”

Andy smiled fondly at his omega and called the rest of the guys to let them know the good news.

 

It was the next day and Pete and Patrick were driving one car with Frank and Gerard and Andy with Joe, driving Tyler, Josh and Brendon to the airport. 

Gerard and Brendon had squeezed the breath out of Patrick before they said ‘goodbye’.

Last time they didn’t get to say it. They didn’t like saying it now. But something about knowing when they would see him again made things easier.

“You’ll see me in a few days when me and Pete fly out.”

“Yeah, but that’s like a whole two days.” Brendon argued.

“We’ll be there after we’re done in New York. We should only take a day or two out there so we’ll be getting in the same day as you and Pete.” Gerard added.

 

They watched their friends leave then drove back to the apartment.

When they walked in they all stopped in the doorway.

“It sure is quiet.” Patrick almost whispered.

“They’ll be back soon enough. We should start packing.”

 

For the rest of the night they spent their time packing everything except what they would need for the next week. Mostly leaving out their kitchen and bathroom supplies and enough clothes to last until they moved in.

Pete and Patrick packed a duffle bag for their trip to Chicago. Whatever stuff they want to bring back can be put in Frank’s uhaul. 

Patrick was nervous about flying back there.

Mostly nervous about seeing his old home again, seeing his mother was something he wasn’t entirely comfortable with either.

But his curiosity was too compelling to ignore.

 

The next day Andy and Joe drove Pete and Patrick to the airport. 

Andy and Pete were discussing safety precautions and Joe was explaining to Patrick how to behave in the airport to avoid confrontation with any aggressive alphas.

Apparently, Patrick wasn’t the only one that was nervous, Pete hugged Andy’s neck multiple times and he was constantly turning back to make eye contact with him again as they walked towards security check in.

Patrick was pretty freaked out walking through the airport. 

He could feel people looking at him, he heard a few alphas make snide comments. 

He just moved closer to Pete and tried to remember everything Joe told him about how to handle being in an extremely crowded public space.

“Trust Pete.” Joe had said. 

At first Patrick wanted to roll his eyes, of course he trusted Pete. But Joe meant it with a much deeper meaning this time.

Patrick stepped closer to his boyfriend. The alpha put an arm around his back and held him tight then proceeded to glare and lightly growl at every alpha that got too close to Patrick.

“Keep your eyes on the floor and don’t talk to anyone, let Pete do the talking. Its what everyone will expect.” Joe’s words echoed in his head.

Patrick stared at his shoes as he walked, not even chancing a glance up at anything. Not that he wanted to. He didn’t like crowded places, and LAX was about as crowded as any place could be.

“Pete will tell you when to do something. Just wait for him to say it and then go ahead. If you try to do anything on your own people will think you’re trying to take the lead.”

Patrick was thankful that Joe had knowledge about behaving in public, but he didn’t know how Joe remembered everything.

Pete stopped walking a few yards away from security, “Okay, they’re gonna ask us to take our shoes off, just put yours in the same bin as mine. When I step through the metal detector, stop on the yellow line and look at me. I’ll motion when it’s time to come through. When you get to me look down again, I’ll let you know when it’s okay to look up. Alright?”

Patrick nodded, not trusting his voice. 

He followed Pete’s lead, taking his shoes off and putting them in the bin. 

When he got to the yellow line he hesitantly looked up at Pete. 

The alpha was giving him a small smile while also watching something on the TSA screen as he pulled his shoes back on.

After a moment Pete wagged his finger at him. Patrick stepped through the metal detector and stopped when he got in front of Pete, dropping his gaze again. 

The alpha handed him his shoes and pulled him to the side. “We’re almost through. Once we get to the lobby at the gate you can relax.”

Patrick nodded and once he was finished putting his shoes back on, he felt Pete’s arm around him again. He let himself be led through the crowd, leaning heavily into Pete’s side whenever another alpha got too close to him.

“Try to sleep on the plane.” Joe had said. Patrick had never been on a plane before. What if he couldn’t sleep?

Pete looked down at Patrick next to him and then to the time on the wall. Forty-five minutes until they board for their flight. That meant there was a chance he could calm Patrick some before they had to get onto the plane.

He could tell the omega was nervous, and although he knew it was necessary to avoid trouble, he hated seeing Patrick act like this.

Once he got them to their gate Pete looked around and saw an empty section of seats near the café. They walked over and he sat their duffle on the floor and gently nudged Patrick to sit down before kneeling in front of him.

“Trick? You good?”

Patrick glanced up slightly, “I’m okay.”

Pete gently tried to lift the omega’s chin. “It’s alright, you don’t have to be a robot anymore.”

Patrick smiled and lifted his eyes slightly to look at Pete, “You sure?”

“Positive. From here until we land, just be yourself. Then you might need to pretend to be a robot again until we get out of Chicago’s airport. But after that no more robots.”

“M’kay.”

“Thirsty? Hungry? There’s a café and some vending machines.”

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’m not really hungry. What if I get sick on the plane?”

“At least let me get you a drink. You need to stay hydrated whether you get sick or not.”

“Okay.”

“You want to come with me or stay—”

Patrick was up before he finished his sentence.

“Haha c’mon.” Pete walked the few steps to the café line. “What do you want?”

“Tea?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Both?”

“Patrick, I will get you anything you want.”

“Tea.” This time he said it more firmly, but he was still looking to Pete for confirmation.

“Good boy.” Pete murmured quietly.

Patrick blushed and hid his face in Pete’s neck. 

He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to the alpha’s praise.

 

When it was Pete’s turn to order Patrick looked down again. He didn’t think he absolutely had to, but it helped him feel calm. Pete just tightened his arm around him and faced the cashier.

“Two sweet teas, and two chocolate chip muffins.”

Patrick looked up at that, meeting Pete’s devious smirk. Patrick raised his eyebrows and smirked back.

“For now, or on the plane. Just in case you change your mind.”

“I told you I’m not hungry.”

“That’s why I said for now or the plane.” Pete continued smirking, knowing that he would win. 

Patrick just shook his head and looked down again.

 

Back at their seats Pete handed him a tea and held out one of the muffins.

Patrick looked up at Pete’s face and realized that he would be giving in whether he did it now or later. 

He grabbed the muffin from Pete and rolled his eyes. It did smell good.

He relented and took a bite, a bit annoyed at himself for humming at how good it tasted when he saw Pete’s smirk grow.

“I knew it.” Pete said.

“How much longer before we board?” Patrick tried to change the subject.

“Uh,” Pete looked at the clock again, “About a half hour.”

 

Looking around Patrick noticed that most of the other people waiting at their gate were betas and alphas. He only saw a few omegas. Two of them kneeling on the floor with their owners.

Patrick tried not to let it bother him, really, he did. But he started feeling guilty again like he did after their trip to the mall.

He didn’t see himself as better than them, in fact it was just the opposite. He still didn’t think he deserved to be treated as nicely as Pete had been treating him. Not when there were other omegas being treated so unfairly.

He couldn’t make himself look around the room anymore, so he dropped his gaze again and finished his muffin, while he stared at the floor in front of him.

“Patrick? You don’t have to—”

Patrick glanced up at where the other omegas were kneeling, “I don’t want to look around.” He dropped his gaze again.

Pete looked in the direction that he had seen Patrick’s eyes go. 

Once he saw that it was other omegas he had been looking at, he understood.

“Trick—”

“Don’t—don’t. I know what your gonna say, but it feels weird still.”

“Okay. But if you need to talk, I’ll listen.”

“I know.” Patrick glanced sideways at his boyfriend, “Thank you.”

Omegas were one of the reasons that Pete had not flown very often in the past, travelling by air only when he had to.

Not that he had anything against omegas flying. Its just that omegas didn’t get treated even close to fair by airlines.

Most of the time when he had flown in the past, omegas were put in cages like animals and kept where the luggage is, a choice that owners make when they’re buying their tickets. 

He didn’t doubt that there were some being put there now, but there were a few in the lobby with their owners. He figured these people probably weren’t as bad as others.

 

When it was time to board Patrick clung to Pete’s arm again, the crowd gathering near the door being a bit overwhelming.

“You take the window seat.” Pete gently nudged him into the aisle.

Patrick sat down and looked out, his nerves about flying were growing steadily, though he tried not to show it.

For the first time since finding out they were flying Patrick started to realize that there were going to be people sitting behind him. People he didn’t know.

He tried to shrink down in his seat a bit, earning a confused look from Pete.

“Its just more crowded than I expected.” He whispered.

Pete just gave him another gentle smile and put his hand over Patrick’s. “Nobody’s gonna hurt you.”

Patrick squeezed Pete’s hand and turned to face the window again.

 

“Good Morning! Welcome onboard this flight to Chicago. In a few moments we'll be screening a safety Video about this aircraft, you'll also find an air procedures briefing card in the seat pocket in front of you. We are waiting for take-off clearance from the Air Traffic Control tower. We expect to depart in 12 minutes. Thank you for your patience.”

Pete watched everyone file onto the plane, flinching whenever he saw an omega with bruises or a leash. 

He had always known some other people, most other people, still had very backwards and disturbing methods of caring for their omegas, obviously, but he couldn’t fathom how anybody would ever be comfortable putting a leash on another person. Omega or not.

Every time an alpha got on, Pete tightened his grip on Patrick’s hand.

Logically he knew Patrick was safe. 

Most of the alphas getting on the plane didn’t even look in their direction but he still felt the need to be protective and keep himself between Patrick and everyone else.

Once everyone was settling into their seats Pete looked down at where his and Patrick’s hands were entwined. 

Pete’s knuckles were slightly white, his boyfriend’s hand was completely limp and slightly reddened around where the alpha’s fingers were digging in. It must’ve hurt, but Patrick was just calmly looking out the window. 

Pete immediately let go of his grip and started to murmur apologies.

Patrick had felt Pete’s hand constricting around his own. It was a tight squeeze, it sort of felt like it was in a vice. But when he looked over at Pete he noticed that the alpha was glaring at everyone passing their seats he figured if it was helping Pete than he wouldn’t stop him.

Something about seeing Pete get so protective even when he didn’t need to, well it made him feel safer, calmer. At least everyone knew he belonged to Pete.

Instead of trying to free his hand he had turned to the window again, only to look back at the alpha again when he heard him apologizing.

“Petey,” Patrick threaded their fingers together again, “I’m okay.”

The alpha looked from their hands up to Patrick’s eyes. The omega really did look calmer. 

“Okay.” Pete continued to hold onto Patrick’s hand, only this time he paid more attention to how tight his grip was.

 

“We will be taking off shortly. Please make sure that your seat belt is securely fastened. Thank you.”

 

Patrick didn’t let go of Pete’s hand until the plane was in the air and settled. 

After that they both lifted the arm rests between them, and Pete slid closer. Patrick was staring out the window, amazed at how beautiful and surreal everything was in the clouds.

“It’s amazing.”

Pete smiled, a genuine, whole-hearted smile at the idea of Patrick actually enjoying himself.

 

For a good hour everything was fine. 

Until the stewardesses started making their rounds to check on passengers.

The woman who came to their aisle was a pretty brunette with a sweet smile. Well, a fake sweet smile. And she seemed to have a particular interest in Pete.

Patrick tried to stay close to the window and not look in her direction, she was an alpha. Who knows if she was okay with omega or not.

Pete had been looking out the window with Patrick when he felt a hand on his shoulder, “Hello sir, how are you doing?”

A normal question Pete thought, but not normal to touch someone like this, she had a finger tracing up the side of his neck.

“I’m fine.” Pete leaned away from her touch but didn’t look away from her, not wanting to give her the chance to start again.

“Can I get you anything?” She leaned on his seat and bent forward a bit, He overexposed chest was getting closer to his face.

He could tell she was the type of person used to getting her way. 

Patrick hadn’t really looked at her yet, but he could see them in his peripheral vision, and in the reflection on the window. He glanced over when he saw Pete turn his head away from her.

She was leaning in really close to Pete’s face. She had a hand on his arm while she was whispering compliments and questions in Pete’s ear despite him trying to politely tell her to leave.

Patrick knew she had been flirting with Pete, but invading his personal space was different, he felt a bit jealous. 

Logically he knew that Pete would never cheat on him, but he didn’t want someone else’s scent on his boyfriend either, and she was too close for comfort.

While Pete was trying to reject her with ‘No thank you’s and ‘I’m fine’s and ‘Not interested’ Patrick grabbed Pete’s hand again and gently pulled the alpha towards himself. Thankful when Pete didn’t hesitate to follow his lead.

If Patrick said anything directly towards the stewardess, she might report him for inappropriate behavior or harassment, (ironically enough). 

Speaking out of turn was something that got a lot of omegas in trouble. It would be her word against his. But if it were Pete’s word against hers, well, that would be entirely different.

When Pete felt Patrick start pulling him slightly away from the woman, he relaxed a bit. Knowing that it might not get rid of her but at least she wasn’t leering over him like a vulture at the moment.

Patrick pretended to be interested in something in the clouds, “Pete look.” He was pointing at nothing in particular, just something to point to so the woman would realize she didn’t have Pete’s attention anymore.

Pete smirked, realizing Patrick’s angle, and played along. He was leaning further into Patrick and away from the woman, pretending to focus on something outside. 

In a normal situation Pete would have told her off by now but being on a plane with nowhere to get away he thought it might be better to keep things as civil as possible.

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to disrupt alphas? Mind your place.” She growled slightly. Ah, so she was THAT type of alpha.

Patrick flinched at the alpha thrum in her voice, but Pete jumped to his feet and got in her face. All concern for not making a scene vanishing from his thoughts.

“Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to give orders to someone else’s omega?” Pete was growling lowly, not loud enough to disrupt everyone, but enough to get his point out.

“But he isn’t even—" She seemed to be getting more irritated. “I can see he is stressing you out. Why don’t you let me put him below with the others of his kind?” She leaned forward again, though this time it was more towards Patrick.

Pete stepped closer to her, his voice turning into a full growl, “I highly suggest you back off. I tried to be polite before. I am not interested in you and never would be. Now leave me and my omega alone.”

Finally, after another glare at Patrick she huffed, “What a waste.” and moved on to the next aisle.

 

“Thank you.” Patrick said and Pete took his seat again, this time as close to Patrick as he could get.

“It should be me thanking you.”

 

Patrick looked at how worked up Pete was, this wouldn’t be good for either of them in the long run. 

Pete was still glaring in the direction of the woman.

Patrick pulled the collar of Joe’s sweatshirt to the side and tilted his neck, “Petey?”

Pete looked over at Patrick’s voice, his eyes widened for a moment before he let his body take over.

He leaned over to press his face into the omega’s neck, placing one hand on the other side of Patrick’s head to hold him still.

Patrick smiled feeling the alpha relax against him and looked up. The stewardess was staring at him in shock.

He just turned his eyes to look out the window again, smiling at the knowledge that she’ll never be able to have anyone like Pete.

 

Patrick soon found out that Joe was right about trying to fall asleep. It was all he could do really.

He dropped his head onto Pete’s shoulder and let his eyes slip closed.

The alpha smiled down at the omega and kissed his hair, thankful that Patrick was sleepy instead of panicky.

Pete made it a point not to fall asleep. Not trusting anyone on board to not hurt Patrick.

Some of the people on here he figured might not be so bad, but why take a chance.


	65. Nobody Can Relax Completely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda filler to set up the next few chapters. More to come so stay tuned if you want to.

Walking off the plane, Patrick made it a point to hold Pete’s hand and nuzzle at the alpha’s neck when they passed the bitchy stewardess.

He smirked when he got a stunned face and a glare from her. Pete found it amusing too, he leaned into the omega’s touch and tilted his neck slightly to show that he was welcoming it.

Once they got into the building Patrick lowered his head and tried to drop his smile, but he was too pleased with himself and man that was worth it.

Chicago airport was a lot easier to navigate than LAX; it was smaller and a lot less crowded. Patrick still kept his eyes down on the floor and stayed behind Pete’s shoulder, clinging to his arm, but he didn’t feel as threatened.

 

Once they were on the road Pete said, “Okay, you know the way to Gee’s parents’ house, so just tell me when to turn.”

“Kay, its only about twenty minutes from here. Get on the highway and head North East until you see the exit for Glenview.”

Pete nodded and did as he was told. He was a bit nervous. Mostly because they would be going to the place where Patrick’s torment started. He was happy to see Gerard’s parents again. He had met them once when they were visiting in New York while he was spending his rut with Mikey. It resulted in slightly awkward conversation but that was over a year ago.

 

In his seat Patrick was silent. He was looking around at everything, noticing how some things changed and some parts of the city were totally different. Not unlike him, he supposes. 

He hasn’t seen this town since he was twelve. The first week of being thirteen his mother had kept him cooped up in the house and then…then he was gone.

Patrick continued to give Pete simple ‘left’ or ‘right’ directions, he hadn’t really put much thought into his answers. He just remembered. Something he didn’t think he would figure out. He never forgot. Maybe if he had a chance to escape his torture, he would’ve made it back, but it’s a long way from California.

“Do you want to go right to see your brothers and mom or—”

“Lets visit with Gee’s parents and B first. I need to see B, it’ll help to have him around.”

Brendon was already there, and maybe he could make Patrick feel a bit calmer. Pete was thankful for that, at least Patrick wouldn’t be the only omega in the house.

“Okay.”

“That one,” Patrick pointed, “The one with the blue door and rose bushes out front.”

Pete pulled along the curb in front of the house and waited for Patrick’s move.

“Lets’ do this.” Patrick sighed.

Before he was fully out of the car Pete saw Brendon running towards them and Josh in the doorway. It really did help seeing him, Brendon hugged Pete then ran around to Patrick and clung to his neck, “C’mon, Donna is so excited about seeing you again.”

Pete smiled as he watched Brendon leading Patrick into the house. Once he saw that they were inside, he turned back to the car to grab their bags. He tried to hurry, comfortable with trusting Josh, but not wanting to be this far away even for a minute.

 

Josh was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, “B don’t just run out of the house like that.”

“Sorry, I’m just really excited!”

Josh shook his head, “Baby, it isn’t safe.” 

The alpha sounded exasperated, something Patrick wasn’t surprised about, even with two alphas, keeping up with Brendon was probably tough. What did have him surprised is when he looked at Brendon and noticed that his friend wasn’t backing down from the alpha. 

“You’re only saying that because of Ty saying it.”

Patrick watched the exchange and briefly wondered if he should be submissive. Josh was an alpha, and he was scolding an omega, he didn’t want to cause trouble for himself. He just got here. Josh wasn’t using an alpha voice, he looked more exhausted than angry, but Patrick wasn’t used to alpha’s scolding without a punishment to follow.

Slowly Patrick stepped back slightly and dropped his gaze, trying not to look too submissive.

“I’m saying it because it’s true. Ty agrees with me. We can’t take chances with your safety.”

“It’s not like I left the property!” Brendon argued.

“B, your heat is getting you worked up. You don’t normally argue like—”

“Enough. Both of you.” Tyler’s alpha voice rang out from where he was standing in the entry to the living room. He wasn’t shouting. But his voice was sharp and commanding.

Brendon immediately dropped his gaze and put out submissive pheromones. Josh ducked his head slightly; he may be an alpha too, but Tyler could still be intimidating.

Stepping forward Tyler put a reassuring arm around Patrick’s shoulders, “You’re making Patrick uncomfortable.”

“Sorry Patrick, I shouldn’t have lost control like that. None of it was directed at you.” Josh said sincerely. 

Patrick looked up at him and nodded, giving a shy smile.

“I’ll be more careful.” Brendon said to Josh, then turned to face Patrick, “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to freak you out; I shouldn’t have pushed him like that.”

“It’s okay, if we’re all gonna live together, I should learn not to flinch at every little thing.”

Pete picked this moment to walk through the front door and take in everyone’s silence and see Tyler shielding Patrick. “What?” He asked suspiciously. Patrick looked fine, other than being a little shook up but he figured he would be when they first got here.

Before anyone could answer—

“Patrick!” Gerard’s mom came into the room enveloping him in a hug, “Oh, it’s so good to finally see you!”

Patrick clung to her arms, and squeezed back, feeling a mother’s embrace was more than he was ready for, even if it wasn’t his birth mother.

“Its good to see you too.” Patrick couldn’t make himself let go, he kept hugging her, not ready to step back, fearing it might not be real if he does.

She seemed to sense that he needed this because she hugged back just as tight and hummed lightly against his hair.

“C’mon, everyone, give em a minute.” Donald said from the doorway.

“I’ll explain.” Tyler mumbled as he walked next to Pete.

Everyone except Patrick and Donna proceeded into the living room.

After a few minutes Patrick had calmed down enough to lean back a bit, “Thank you.” He whispered.

“Oh sweetheart, it’s such a relief to know you’re safe again.”

Patrick flinched, briefly wondering if she knew about his past yet, or if he should even tell it again.

“Come, lets go talk in the kitchen for a bit.”

Patrick only hesitated a moment, should he get Pete? He didn’t like the idea of being too far from the alpha.

“They’ll entertain themselves until we’re done.” She led him into the kitchen with an arm around his shoulders.

 

“Here.” she placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of him and slid over a plate of cookies.

“Thank you, Donna.” Patrick didn’t hesitate to dig in, Donna had always made the best snacks when he was a kid.

“Ah ah, you know you can still call me Mom. Brendon does. I’ve always thought of you two as my own, you were all over here plenty enough for me to get attached.”

“Thanks mom.” Patrick sighed, relieved that he wouldn’t be having the same argument with her that he had with his own mother and brothers.

“Gerard will be here later. Frank and Michael are coming with him too.”

“I’ve haven’t seen Mikey yet. Has he changed much?”

“Well, other than presenting as an alpha, no. No, he hasn’t. He’s still just as quiet as he was, he still sees himself as the little brother. Presenting didn’t change anything between them, actually I think it made them closer. Not that either of them would admit it.”

Patrick smiled at that, “I’m not surprised. When Gee was out with us in California he seemed pretty grown up too.”

“Yes, well, time has affected him.” She looked down at her drink, “He’s had his struggles, after you went missing things were hard. But meeting Frank helped. So did their band. I swear sometimes it seems that all they talk about anymore is music and comic books.”

“Heh, well that isn’t new.” Patrick felt very relaxed talking to Donna. Conversation between him and her came easily, without fear. Something he wished he’d had with his own mother.

“Brendon spends most of his time with his band or his alphas’ band at shows. They tell me you’ve joined a band. No doubt a singer?”

“Yeah, Pete, Joe and Andy convinced me it was a good idea.”

“It is. You were always a terrific singer. You’ll have to let me know when you’re playing so I can come see you.”

“I promise. We might not have one for a while though, we’re moving into a new house.”

“Yes, Gerard and Brendon are very excited. It’ll be like old times, a permanent sleepover.” She got a sorrowful look in her eyes then.

Patrick hesitated, it was the first moment since they started talking that he didn’t know what to say.

She reached over and took his hands, “We planned on inviting you to move in with us when you presented. I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance.”

“Its not your fault. Gee had asked me a million times before that happened to move in here. I just didn’t want to put you guys in any danger.”

“Oh sweetheart.” She pulled Patrick in for another hug, “If you ever need anything you let me know alright?”

“Alright.”

“Now, Brendon tells me you’ve found yourself an alpha?” She sounded excited.

“Uh, well its not official yet, but he is my boyfriend. I love him a lot.” Patrick blushed at his confession.

“Well?” She smiled widely and gestured with her hand, “Details, I need to know you’re being looked after properly.”

“Its Pete. He saved me from where I was before. We’ve been together for a few months now. He is very protective and very adamant about me being healthy.” Patrick rolled his eyes fondly, “He’s one of the nicest alpha’s I’ve ever met and he’s perfect. We’re taking thing’s slow; he gives me choices with everything. He hasn’t forced me to do anything, and he’s letting me set the pace of the whole thing.” He answered with practiced ease, having said these things before, but only now getting a mother who would believe him and listen.

“Good, I always liked him. We met him once in New York when Donald and I went out there to visit Gerard and Michael. Pete was so polite and caring. You’ve found yourself a good one Patrick.” She nodded more to herself than him.

“I think so too. I just wish more people thought the way you do.”

He wasn’t embarrassed anymore, feeling happy to finally be able to gush about his boyfriend to someone he saw in a parental position.

“This about your mother and brothers?”

“My brothers mostly came around after a while. My mother is very against Pete. She thinks he’ll change and hurt me or leave me or do something like my father did.”

“I wish there was some way I could help. But you know I don’t think you’ll ever be able to get rid of Pete. He is incredibly loyal; he’ll never leave you. Trust me, a mom knows.”

“I don’t believe he ever would. My mother kept trying to get him to though. She even tried to make him have me chipped.”

Donna looked slightly surprised at this, but didn’t miss a beat, “I’m glad he isn’t the type to give in.”

“Me too.”

“She, she was different, your mother. After you disappeared, she didn’t even come around here anymore. Your brothers did though, they came by occasionally, mostly when they were out looking for you.”

“It doesn’t even feel real yet. Sometimes it feels like I’m dreaming and when I wake up, I’ll be back with…” Patrick cut himself off, not wanting to go into his past. 

The conversation he was having now was too good, too relaxed, he didn’t want to bring up that stuff.

“You don’t have to tell me. Gerard and Brendon both told me parts of what happened. If you want to talk about it, I’ll listen. And if you don’t, that’s fine too. I won’t ask or push for it.”

 

“I appreciate that.”

She reached over and cupped his face, “Things will get easier. It might take a while, but they will. Just remember that you’re not alone.”

Patrick nodded and they finished their drinks in comfortable silence.

 

Pete had followed Brendon, Josh and Tyler into the living room with Donald. They were all having a conversation, but he couldn’t bring himself to focus. 

Tyler had filled him in on the few seconds he missed before he got from the car to the front door. It was literally only a few seconds that he wasn’t with Patrick and something happens.

He kept looking at the door to the kitchen, waiting for Patrick to reappear. He didn’t like not having him close in a strange place.

“He’s okay. He probably needs a motherly comfort after everything that happened with his own.” Tyler said quietly next to Pete.

“I just don’t like being away from him. Last time he was on this street he disappeared for six years.” Pete got a bit defensive, “What would you do?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, and I would probably be doing the same thing you’re doing.” Tyler looked across from them at Brendon sitting in Josh’s lap, “But if he needed to talk without me to somebody from his past to cope, I would wait as patiently as I could while he did it.”

“I know you’re right. But that doesn’t make it any easier.”

“Distract yourself. Call Andy.”

Pete paused at that; he should call Andy. Nodding he stood up and turned to Tyler, “Come get me if they come back in here.” 

After getting a nod he walked back outside onto the porch and pulled out his phone.

Andy answered right away. “Everything okay?” Andy had felt Pete’s emotions through their bond going up and down like a rollercoaster. 

“I don’t like being away from him.” Pete all but growled. Not being able to control himself as much.

“Why are you away from him? Where is he?” Andy started to panic, the last thing anybody needs is something happening to Patrick.

“He’s inside talking to Gerard’s mom. They’ve been talking in private since we got here.”

“Is that what Patrick wanted?”

“Yeah, he seemed more comfortable with her than his own mother.”

“That sounds like a good thing Petey.” Andy’s voice was gentle, he was clearly trying to keep Pete calm.

“I know. I’m happy that she’s nice about everything. I just, I don’t like being too far away.”

“Where are you now?”

“On their front porch.”

“Where is Patrick?”

“In the kitchen.”

“You would be closer to him if you went inside. Be patient. He probably needs this.”

“That’s what Ty said.”

“He’s right.”

“How are you? How’s Joe?” Pete changed the subject, trying to distract himself.

“As expected, we miss you guys. But other than that, we’re fine. Mostly everything is packed up. I called the landlord to let him know we’re moving out; he’s coming over tomorrow.”

“What’s Joe gonna do?” Pete was nervous about that now.

Their landlord wasn’t exactly omega friendly. He didn’t ban omegas from his building because he saw them as property instead of tenants. Up until now anytime the landlord was coming over, Pete would take Joe somewhere out of the apartment while Andy dealt with the guy.

“Not sure. I think he might just stay in the bedroom or out on the porch.”

“Call me if anything happens.”

“Same to you. Joe wants to talk.”

Shuffling noise came through the phone and Pete was greeted by Joe’s soft, “Hi Petey.”

“Hi Joe.” Hearing the omega’s voice through the speaker was enough to make him want to grab Patrick and get a flight home now.

“I miss you guys.”

“We miss you too.” Pete’s heart clenched at the admission. It had only been a few hours, but it felt much longer.

“Give Patrick a hug for me. And call me later so I can talk to him. And tell B I miss him too, also tell Gee when he gets there.” Joe begged, he had gotten so used to having the other omegas around that he was feeling a bit out of place without them.

“Haha will do. Make sure you do the same and give Andy a hug from me.”

“Promise.”

Pete waited a moment, the thought of their landlord weighing on his mind.

“Be careful with the landlord there. Please?” Pete didn’t like seeing Joe behave like a robot when they were around strangers, but it did help in situations like this.

“I will. I’m gonna stay out of the room and if he does come near, I know how to behave.”

“If he comes near you make sure Andy is there too before you do anything.” Pete didn’t want Joe getting taken advantage of.

“I will. I don’t think Andy would let that happen anyway.” 

“I know. But please be careful.”

“You be careful too. Don’t let Patrick go anywhere alone.”

Just like that Pete was reminded of what made him call in the first place. 

“I’m gonna go see if he’s done talking with Gee’s mom yet. Call you guys back later okay?”

“Okay. Love you”

Pete smiled, a brief moment of calm washed over him, “Love you guys too.”

 

Back inside Pete noticed that Patrick still wasn’t back, but Brendon was walking towards him.

“Sit.” Brendon nudged Pete towards a couch again and climbed up on his lap.

Pete wrapped his arms around the omega and looked at his eyes for an explanation.

“Your anxious alpha pheromones are driving me nuts. So until Trick is in here, you’re gonna cuddle me and calm yourself down.”

Pete heard Tyler snicker beside him before he turned back to the omega in his lap, “Whatever you say Beebo.”

Brendon rolled his eyes at the nickname and pressed his face into Pete’s neck, scenting him. Pete did let himself relax slightly, but not enough to feel calm.

 

It was another half hour before Patrick and Donna came into the room. Brendon slid over to Tyler’s lap as Patrick sat beside Pete, with Donna following on his other side.

Patrick knew the minute he saw Pete that something was bothering him, “Petey? You okay?”

Pete suddenly felt a bit silly for being so crazy earlier. “I just, missed you. Are you…is everything okay?”

Patrick smiled apologetically, “Sorry we were gone so long, we were catching up. I’m great actually.” Turning to look at Donna, “It’s nice to see an old friend.”

“Now now Patrick, are you calling me old?” Donna teased.

“Never.” Patrick returned her smile full force and Pete’s heart skipped a beat, his nerves evaporating. If Patrick was calm, then he could relax at least enough to get half comfortable. But he was not going to let Patrick out of his sight again.

 

Patrick pressed close to Pete for a while after he sat down, not wanting to be away from the alpha. Patrick himself was fine while he talked to Donna in the kitchen, but Pete felt tense, and he wanted to try and make his boyfriend relax some before they went to see his brothers later.

Pete had been running his fingers through Patrick’s hair while they all listened to Donna tell stories about the boys when they were younger. 

It was fascinating really, Pete noticed that the stories Donna was telling were different from the stories he’d heard about from Patrick’s mother and brothers of life at his own childhood home. Donna’s were happier, more energetic and reminiscent of an ideal family life.

It wasn’t long before she pulled out an old photo album and sat it in Patrick’s lap. “Look through this, I put one together for each of you a few years ago. This one is yours.”

The omega leaned into Pete’s side and elbowed him lightly to get his full attention. Brendon leaned over Pete’s shoulder, still sitting in Tyler’s lap to get a better view.

The first page had an older photo, a little worn out around the edges, in it was three little kids with their arms around each other.

Pete recognized the one on the left as Patrick, his eyes really hadn’t changed. “How old were you guys?”

“Five, I think. It was the first day of kindergarten.” Patrick answered quietly.

“Even back then you looked like a bunny.” Brendon mumbled jokingly. He was trying to lighten the mood, but it only made Patrick give a sad smile and lean into Pete more.

They looked through the album, some pictures making Patrick genuinely laugh at the memories, others bringing a sad energy into the room. But all the same Patrick seemed to enjoy it, Brendon too.

 

It was another few hours before Gerard got there with Frank and Mikey. 

Brendon had tried to get up and run outside to greet them, but Tyler tightened his arms around the omegas waist and held him down on his lap.

“We already told you that you can’t just run outside like that. It isn’t safe.” He said warningly.

“Safe enough, Frank and Mikey are right there.” Brendon whined, earning a look from Josh and another squeeze from Tyler.

“B, no. You are not going anywhere without somebody and being this close to your heat you’re not going anywhere without me or Josh. Preferably both. Earlier you said you would be more careful.” Tyler kept his voice neutral, but still firm, not wanting to scare Patrick at all.

The memory of how Patrick reacted earlier was enough to make Brendon stop arguing and give in to his alphas.

Patrick watched the exchange from the other side of Pete, not giving into his fear this time. With Pete next to him it was easier for his instincts to recognize the scolding as not being directed at him.

 

Once inside, Gerard immediately hugged Patrick and Brendon then turned to embrace his parents. Mikey copying his movements.

“Patrick, it’s good to see you.” Mikey squeezed Patrick gently like he was afraid of hurting him and then turned to Pete. “Good to see you too. Gee told me what happened. I’m glad you’re going to be Patrick’s alpha.”

“Me too. Thanks for being cool about it and I promise to take care of him.” Pete said playfully, despite meaning every word.

Mikey raised an eyebrow, “I know you will. Besides, I know how to find you, and Gee would kill you before I got there.”

“Ha, very true.”

They hugged their friends and found their seats in the living room. Gerard took his mother’s previously vacated spot on the other side of Patrick and Mikey on the other side of him. Frank sat next to Josh and dropped his head back, closing his eyes.

“Tired?”

“How can you tell?” Frank answered not opening his eyes.

“Go get some rest.”

“I can’t leave him.”

Josh didn’t have to ask to know he was talking about Gerard.

“We’ll look after him.”

“I know you will, but I CAN’T leave him. My instincts just won’t let me.”

“Something happen?”

“No, but I can never relax when we’re in this town. After hearing everything about Patrick, its different now. I mean all those years that we looked for him, it worried me, but actually knowing…Knowing what happened to him when he was taken, that shit really freaks me out. No, I’m not letting Gee out of my sight until were back to LA. Even then he’s on semi lockdown. At least until I can relax.”

“I understand. Pete almost snapped a while ago when Patrick went into the other room with Donna.”

“I don’t blame him. We all need to be on high alert; until we get out of this town nobody can relax completely.”

 

 

Most of the day passed by quickly, retellings of stories from their childhood and Donna making everybody snacks. Patrick knew he should be heading over to see his brothers soon, but he didn’t want to leave yet. And truthfully, he was beyond nervous about seeing his old house.

From Gerard’s front yard he could see the mailbox at the end of the driveway, only a few more yards and the house would come into view. 

“Okay, I’m ready.” Patrick said quietly, grabbing Pete’s hand tightly.

“If you’re not sure we can always turn back and wait.”

“I’m sure, just…please don’t let go.”

“I won’t. If it were up to me I wouldn’t let go of you til were back home.”

Patrick paused and looked back at the house, thinking of Gerard and Brendon, how their alphas had been being extra protective today.

“Its because of me isn’t it? That me, Bren and Gee have to be on lockdown?”

“No, and it isn’t your fault. We just want to make sure everyone is safe. After everything that’s happened, we can’t take any chances. So, for the rest of the time here me, Ty, Josh and Frank are probably gonna be really overprotective. I’m sorry but it is for the best.” Pete did feel bad, not for being overprotective, but because after all these years Patrick still didn’t really have all of his freedom.

Patrick picked up on his tone instantly, “Pete, I’m not upset about it. I like that you’re protective. Before I met you, I never got to know what it was like to have someone care and protect me. I don’t want you to stop, even when we get back. I just feel bad that Bren and Gee are gonna be under “lockdown” too. Bren argued with Josh earlier, I don’t want to be the reason that he argues with his alphas and gets in trouble.”

“Oh baby,” Pete pulled his boyfriend close and kissed his temple, “I’m glad you like the protective side of me because I honestly don’t think I could ever turn it off. But as for Bren and Gee, they were always on lockdown when they came here. It’s just more now because Ty, Josh and Frank know what happened to you. B isn’t arguing just because of them being protective, its his heat too.”

“What do you mean?” Patrick knew Brendon’s heat was close, but what did that have to do with arguing with his alphas.

“Heats effect all omegas differently. In the days leading up to one some omegas get extremely submissive and do anything they can to please the alphas around them, others get a bit defiant and try to get their alphas attention. Mating and knotting is what an omega’s instinct is telling them to do before and during heats. Specifically instincts are trying to get an omega pregnant. B arguing is his instincts way of trying to get him knotted. Besides, he never was the submissive type.”

“But Josh and Tyler looked mad. Ty even used his alpha voice.”

“Mmm, their instincts are telling them to control their omega or put him in his place. I know it doesn’t sound nice but usually by mating an omega they become more submissive because they’re more connected with their alphas.”

“Why didn’t Josh use his alpha voice before Tyler came in?”

“Josh has never liked using it, he’s uncomfortable with it. The last time I heard him use it, it took Ty over an hour to convince him he was right to do it. Ty is usually the one that gives orders or punishments.”

It was hard to miss the way Patrick flinched at the word ‘punishment’.

“It isn’t as bad as what you’re thinking.” Pete started slowly.

Patrick just gave him a confused and worried look.

“When I said ‘punishment’, I didn’t mean anything harsh. They would never do anything to cause him pain. Neither would Frank for that matter. Usually a punishment for B is Ty and Josh withholding sex from him for so many days.”

The relief on Patrick’s face was like a mask falling off. “Good.”

“That doesn’t mean that Ty won’t use his alpha voice again. If he does just try to remember it isn’t directed at you.”

“I don’t plan on being anywhere without you, so I think I’ll be okay.”

Pete’s heart swelled and he sent a lovesick grin at his boyfriend. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

 

“If I argue with you before my heat I’d like to apologize now.” Patrick grumbled.

“Haha, I don’t think you will, but if you do, I promise I won’t take it personally. You’re submissive naturally, so you’ll probably have a reaction more similar to Joe.”

“What was he like before a heat?”

“Cuddly. Like if a puppy and a koala had a baby.”

Patrick smirked and rolled his eyes, thinking warmly of Joe clinging to Andy and Pete like a koala. It wasn’t actually hard to imagine. “I miss him.”

“He misses you too. I’m supposed to call him back at some point today so you can talk to him. So we can do that now or before we go see your brothers.”

Patrick just then remembered why they were standing outside on the sidewalk. “Later, if this visit goes anything like when they were in LA I’m gonna need Dr. Joe to vent to.”

“Dr. Joe?” Pete raised an eyebrow.

“Since we met he kinda took on the roll of therapist in my life.”

“Ah, so that’s what you guys do for hours in the studio.”

“‘Trohman’s Therapy’. He says writing and playing music is like therapy, so that’s what he calls it.”

“He’s right. When we get back I think we’ll all need some.”


	66. Scared into Silence

The walk to Patrick’s childhood home was tense. 

Patrick kept his eyes on the concrete below him, too nervous to let himself look up yet.

It wasn’t until he caught a glimpse of the mailbox in his peripheral vision that he stopped walking. 

‘Stump’ was written in bold black letters on the side. It was rusted in spots, but still looked relatively the same as it did the last time he saw it.

Pete looked up at the house when Patrick stopped. He hadn’t been paying much attention to where they were walking, deciding to focus more on every car and person they passed.

The house didn’t look out of place, it didn’t look like anything you wouldn’t expect to see in the area. It certainly didn’t give anything away regarding the dark past of its residents. 

The outside screamed ‘Brady Bunch’ while the dark images of Patrick’s childhood were more in line with ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’.

It looked like a such a wholesome family home that one would normally see that Pete almost thought they were at the wrong house until he saw Patrick staring at the mailbox.

“Patrick?” Pete’s voice was soft, he wasn’t sure if this was a good idea anymore. Patrick already seemed zoned out and they were still on the sidewalk.

Slowly Patrick raised his head to look at Pete. For a moment he only stared back at his boyfriend, but then he gave in and turned his head towards the house.

A sharp intake of breath and a step backwards was all Patrick needed to do before Pete wrapped an arm around his back and held him tightly against his side.

“Breath Trick.” Patrick wasn’t hyperventilating yet, but he felt tense, and he still hadn’t let out the breath he was holding.

Looking at the house that was once his home gave Patrick a weird feeling.

He didn’t feel home. He felt like he was visiting a distant relative for the holidays or something. But he definitely didn’t feel ‘home’.

Maybe he expected he would feel at home, but honestly Gerard’s parents house felt more comfortable than this.

Even though his memories tied to this place weren’t particularly happy, he remembers thinking of this place as home when he was a kid.

Of course, when he was a kid, he didn’t have many other places to go. No choices. 

Patrick might have changed, but this house sure as hell didn’t. It looks exactly like it did the day he was thrown into that van.

Things are different now. 

He has a home. 

But it isn’t in Illinois.

No, his home is in Los Angeles with Pete, Joe and Andy. And soon the rest of their friends.

Patrick exhaled the breath that he had been holding in from fear and turned to Pete. He didn’t say anything, just tightened his grip on the alpha’s hand and arm and gave a nod.

Pete was hesitant to go any closer to the house, Patrick was being eerily silent, and it freaked him out. But if Patrick needed to do this then he was down to support him.

The grip on Pete’s hand was airtight as they walked towards the front door. Patrick’s breathing had sped up slightly and he kept closing his eyes to reopen them as if he couldn’t believe where he was. Like one of the times he blinked he might wake up and everything will have been a dream.

But it was too real. 

The smell of fresh cut grass, the sounds of the neighborhood kids playing, cars driving by and his pulse beating in his head. The breeze blowing warm gusts of wind against his face. Pete’s hand hot and sweaty getting crushed between his own. It was weird. Like two worlds of his life colliding and swirling together but not really touching.

They were standing on the front porch, Pete was waiting to see what Patrick wanted to do.

He would be willing to stand here for as long as he needed or walk them back to Gerard’s house or go somewhere else completely if he wanted. But he wouldn’t knock unless Patrick said so.

Of everything that they’ve agreed to go at Patrick’s pace for, this was one of the most important ones.

Patrick was panicky, but he wasn’t actually having a panic attack yet.

It only served to make him more nervous, waiting for panic that you know is there, even though it hasn’t consumed you yet. 

Patrick closed his eyes and tried to remember the feeling of Pete’s chest under his head the last time he had a panic attack. He could feel and hear the alpha’s heartbeat like a steady kick drum.

Pete was still, he could tell that Patrick was trying to keep himself calm, he didn’t know that he was using the alpha’s heartbeat to steady himself until he felt his boyfriend slide his fingers around his wrist and press lightly on his pulse. The omega was taking deep breaths and squeezing his wrist every few seconds until finally he opened his eyes and looked at Pete.

Patrick didn’t feel calm, not by a long shot, but he wasn’t as afraid of panicking.

Slowly he nodded his head and said, “I’m ready.”

Pete nodded back and reached up to knock on the door.

 

Ben opened the door and immediately stepped forward towards Patrick. He was happy to see his brother again but Patrick couldn’t stop himself from flinching at the sudden movement.

“Sorry Patrick, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Ben stepped back slightly and put out calming pheromones.

“No, it’s good to see you. I’m just a little tense.”

“Of course. I should’ve expected that. Come in.” Ben stepped to the side.

Pete hesitated, looking to Patrick. The omega didn’t move for a moment, seemingly stuck in his head again. Before the alpha could say anything, Patrick stepped forward, his grip tightening on Pete’s arm as he pulled him along.

Everything was tense. The alphas shared a look, Patrick wasn’t saying anything. He was glancing around himself like he was expecting something.

“Patrick!” Kevin came jogging into the room, only to be stopped when Ben reached out and put a hand on his chest. “Give him a minute.”

 

Ben pushed the front door shut and immediately regretted it when Patrick jumped and looked behind him.

Logically Patrick knew he wasn’t in danger. Pete was here. His brothers were here. They wouldn’t let him get hurt.

But another part of him knew that the last time he stood here was taken away by the man that tortured him and the two henchmen who worked for him.

He looked down at where his hands were gripping Pete’s arm and came to the decision that he was not going to let Pete out of his touch. He couldn’t. If he lets go, he might slip into another panic attack. That’s not what he needs right now.

Patrick turned back to face his brothers and look up at Pete. The alpha was staring back at him, a mostly calm but concerned look in his face. 

Pete had already promised him he wouldn’t let go. That meant as long as Patrick wanted him to Pete would make sure they were touching at all times.

It was weird to say the least. Being back in the house put him on edge like he never experienced. Everything was too calm. 

Whatever part of his brain that controlled his fear was telling him that he might be taken again, or that his father might not really be gone.

He wanted to apologize for being so scared. But he couldn’t find his voice. Scared into silence again.

 

“C’mon, lets sit down in the living room and relax for a bit.” Ben suggested lightly. 

Patrick didn’t answer, just nodded slightly and tightened his grip on his boyfriend’s arm again.

Pete followed Ben and Kevin into the other room, pulling Patrick under his arm before he sat down.

 

“How was the flight?” Ben asked Pete. Knowing that Patrick wouldn’t be answering, but also hoping that the casual conversation would calm him a bit.

Pete caught on to what the other alpha was doing and played along. For a bit they talked about random things, the plane, the new house, the pack. Anything they could think of, constantly glancing over to check on Patrick.

The omega’s scent had calmed some. He wasn’t as scared, he still seemed nervous and a bit cautious. But Pete felt that he was right to feel that way.

Patrick was looking around the room. Everything looked as though not much time had passed, yet there were differences that made him feel like he was in a completely different place like the twilight zone.

Looking around he realized that all of the things that used to belong to his father were gone.

None of Alpha Stump’s things were here. Not his books, his trophies, his chair. Everything that had ever belonged to him was missing as though it had never had a place here to begin with.

It was a revelation that he welcomed. He didn’t need to be reminded of that man. 

He didn’t want to remember him.

Yet everything reminded him of that day.

The stairs going upstairs were on the other side of the room. That’s where he was standing all those years ago when those men grabbed him to drag him outside.

The carpet and the couch was different. Not particularly unusual he guessed, to change carpet, but his mother had loved the carpet before.

He didn’t know where to look. 

Everything was too different and too similar all at once.

He hadn’t been paying attention to anything his brothers or Pete had been talking about. But he felt a hand gently nudging at his chin.

Pete.

Patrick met his eyes and gave him a questioning look.

Pete smiled gently, “I said are you hungry or thirsty?” 

The omega just shook his head and leaned into his boyfriend’s side some more.

Patrick returned his attention to the floor, kicking at the carpet with the corner of his shoe.

Out of everything about the house that had changed the couch and carpet seemed the most confusing to him. They had just put that carpet in not even a month before he turned thirteen. His mother picked it out because of the softness and color of it. She had a lot of pride in her home décor and the living room had once been her favorite.

Kevin flinched watching Patrick stare at the carpet.

He had forgotten to mention that they had to rip out the old one the day Patrick was taken. 

He leaned into Ben’s side, needing to feel his big brother’s presence when the memory of that day came back to him.

 

Flashback…

Kevin got home from school and when he was walking up to the front door her heard shouting.

He quickened his pace when he recognized the voice. It was Ben that was shouting.

The moment he stepped inside the front door he wanted to puke.

There was blood everywhere.

Ben was standing in the middle of the room, more like swaying though. He was favoring his weight to one leg over the other.

Their father was on the floor, holding a hand over one of his eyes.

They were both covered in blood and still bleeding from various parts of their bodies, a puddle of the red liquid beneath them.

The window was broken, as well as a lamp, the tv and the glass coffee table.

For a moment he thought that someone had broken in and his father and brother had fought them off. But then he heard what Ben was saying and who he was saying it to.

“GET OUT NOW! AND DON’T EVER COME BACK!”

Ben was shaking.

When their father didn’t move, Ben grabbed him and pulled him up to shove him towards the door. “GET OUT!”

Kevin was frozen, watching in horror at the wounds covering his brother became clearer. 

He didn’t necessarily care about his father’s wounds. He had never cared about theirs. But his brother, he needed his brother to be okay. 

“Ben?”

“Move.” An alpha command that had Kevin ducking his head and scurrying to the other side of the room.

Ben pushed their father out the door and watched in relative calmness as the alpha went to his car and peeled out of the driveway.

 

When Ben came back inside, he looked around the room, stopping when he locked eyes with Kevin.

His little brother looked scared, and he didn’t even know about Patrick being gone yet. Even though Kevin was sixteen he still felt like a small child whenever his big brother was mad, despite there only being a two-year age gap.

Kevin’s back was pressed against the wall behind him, he was breathing shakily, staring at Ben.

“Kev…” He took a step towards his brother, the adrenaline he had just used to win a fight against his father was draining from him.

Kevin lunged forward when he saw that Ben was going to collapse and put one of his brother’s arms around him and led him to the couch.

Ben was covered in cuts and soon to be bruises.

Kevin wanted to ask what happened, but he was too afraid to say anything.

“Call an ambulance then go check on mom and...” Ben started when he saw his brother’s gaze. 

“I am not leaving you.” Kevin said as he pulled out his phone to call 911.

“Just go make sure she isn’t hurt. I’ll be right here when you get back.”

“No.”

“Kev—”

“Ben please don’t make me go. I can’t leave you right now.” Kevin was close to tears.

“Okay, shh shh okay.”

 

While they were waiting on the ambulance Kevin used his sweatshirt to put pressure on the worst of his brother’s cuts and waited for an explanation.

The floor was completely ruined. There is no way they’ll be able to get out the blood from the carpet, or the couch they’re sitting on.

“I’m happy you won, but what the hell made you snap?”

“Patrick…” 

“What about him?” Kevin looked around the room. He didn’t see their youngest brother anywhere.

“He’s…he’s gone.”

 

End flashback…

 

When Kevin looked over at Ben, the eldest seemed to know what he was thinking and shook his head. Now was not the time to tell that story to Patrick.

They spent some more time talking, none of the alphas wanted to suggest going upstairs. 

Patrick came to see his old room but the idea of it actually happening was still a bit surreal. He would need to do it on his own time.

Instead Kevin offered to order a pizza for dinner and Ben went to check on their mother. When they had gotten back, she had reverted back into herself. Keeping mostly to her room, not wanting to do much at all.

They hadn’t actually told her that Patrick was coming out of fear of what she might do.

Once they were alone, Pete turned to his boyfriend and kissed his temple, earning a hum and slight tilt of the head from the omega.

He decided to take full advantage of the fact that they were alone to scent Patrick. The omega was much calmer now than when they got here, but he was still very tense.

When Patrick felt Pete’s nose brush against his scent gland, he tilted his head more and pressed against the alpha’s skin. The feeling of his boyfriend’s breath on his neck was a great distraction for now, and he would hold onto it for as long as he could.

 

“Thanks.” Patrick said quietly as Pete leaned back.

It had been the first thing Patrick said since they came inside so Pete thought of it as some sort of progress.

“How are you doing?”

“I—I don’t know how I feel. I mean I’m scared but I also feel sort of okay? I just keep thinking that he’s gonna appear or something and I don’t know…things are different but also the same. I can’t explain it. I just…I feel uneasy I guess…”

“I know it might not actually calm you down for me to say this, but I promise I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. Neither will your brothers. And it’s been a few years, some things were bound to have been changed.” Pete said gently, not wanting to upset or discourage his boyfriend.

“Yeah, but when I can’t figure out how I feel I get panicky, and I’m already panicky so it’s just kind of building up inside my head.”

“Do you want to call Joe?”

“Not yet. Definitely when we leave. But, I need some time to process first. If I don’t take some time to think, I won’t be able to explain anything to him.”

“Okay, though I think he would understand regardless. If you need to talk, I’ll listen.”

“I know. And I should probably apologize now for keeping you up tonight, but I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”

“You’ve apologized more than enough for things that you never needed to. Besides, I’ll be up anyway, so you can’t blame yourself.”

“I can’t help it.”

“I know.” Pete said sadly, then turned to look at the time on his phone. “Pizza should be here soon.”

Patrick nodded and looked towards the stairs, “I’d like to see my room.”


	67. Somewhere You Exist

Pete was still for a moment. If Patrick really wanted to see his room, he needs to make sure the omega is really ready. Despite all of his progress Patrick still has a difficulty processing his past.

“Will you come with me?” Patrick’s voice was quiet as he continued to look up the stairs.

“Of course.” Truthfully Pete hadn’t planned on letting him go alone anyway.

 

It was another moment before Patrick grabbed Pete’s hand and stood up.

The alpha hesitated only a moment. Patrick’s grip was tight, and he was shaking slightly. Pete wasn’t sure if this was actually a good idea.

Panic was bound to come, whether they went up now or later. 

Logically he knew that by putting it off Patrick might become more anxious. Doing it quick like ripping off a band-aid might make an attack come on all that much faster.

Still, he promised Patrick that they would do things at his pace, both as part of their relationship and their lives in general.

Pete briefly thought maybe Patrick changed his mind. They were both standing in front of the couch still, Patrick was staring at the stairs and Pete was staring at Patrick.

“You sure?”

Patrick took a deep breath and nodded. He stepped forward pulling Pete into step beside him.

 

When they got to what Pete assumed was Patrick’s old bedroom door, he looked over at the omega again. His eyes were widened slightly, and he was taking deeper breaths than normal. His scent was off. Pete could tell he was scared, so he gave his hand another squeeze. 

Logically Pete knew where this was heading.

An anxiety attack, a panic attack. Both. 

But telling Patrick ‘no’ or to ‘give it some more time’ wasn’t going to work.

The omega had waited over six years to see his old bedroom again, and he was determined not to put it off anymore.

 

There was a moment before opening the door that Patrick thought maybe this wouldn’t be too bad. Sure he was panicky now, but maybe he could control his emotions long enough to look around a bit.

Wishful thinking, he knows. 

Part of him is hyper aware of his surroundings, being in the house he grew up in.

But another part of him was in some sort of cloud, like he felt he was dreaming and was losing his ability to focus on anything other than the need to see his old room.

 

What if when he opened the door it wasn’t the same like Ben had said?

What if it was exactly like Ben said? Left untouched since that awful morning all those years ago.

Both scenarios seemed terrifying.

On one hand he would be seeing something he missed, like a part of him long lost had returned.

But the other hand was what his mother and brothers had held onto, what they sometimes still saw him as. A helpless thirteen-year-old omega that just had his first heat and hadn’t experienced much of the world.

Truthfully, in this moment he felt like a scared, lonely thirteen-year-old kid. One whose mind was full of self-hatred and doubt.

But things were different, he wasn’t thirteen. He wasn’t lonely. He was still scared, but for different reasons.

 

Slowly Patrick stepped forward and turned the handle, he pushed the door open but didn’t step into the room.

His hand tightened on Pete again, not a conscious move, but when he felt the alpha squeeze back again he focused a bit more.

 

His room looked exactly like Ben had said. 

Literally.

Nothing was seemingly out of place.

It was like he had just shut the door when he was thirteen and didn’t open it again until now.

Stepping slightly into the doorway, he looked around and let out a shaky breath.

He could see his old band posters still taped to the wall.

A shelf in the corner of the room held all of his favorite books and movies, covered in a thick layer of dust.

 

Nothing had been touched.

His bed was still messed up from not making it the morning he was taken.

Blankets and pillows and towels from that week were on the floor around it.

There was an empty cup on the stand next to his bed.

Some clothes were laying in different places around the floor.

 

He paused, holding his breath as he slipped on the light switch.

Stepping further into the room he saw how unchanged everything was. 

A great contrast to how he felt about himself.

His closet door was open.

On the floor inside were shoes, and clothes.

Still in its box was a ‘heat kit’ that his mother had given him after he presented.

His desk was covered in his schoolbooks and unfinished homework.

And there, on the wall above the desk was a framed photo of himself with Gerard and Brendon when they were twelve.

It was taken a few days before the nightmare started.

 

He could feel his heartbeat picking up. 

A faster and harder pace that he could feel all over his body.

He could hear it.

The pounding of his heart beating in his ears.

A steady drumming that was getting faster and louder.

 

He felt a bit nauseous, his stomach a knot that was constricting around his torso.

It was getting harder to breath.

Even though he knew better, it felt like there hands closing around his throat.

 

He felt cold, but he could also feel the sweat on his face and hands getting worse.

He knew he was shaking; he could feel it in his arms.

His legs felt like his knees had been replaced with jell-o.

His fingers and legs were becoming numb.

The back of his neck was tense, he felt like someone was watching him.

A sinister presence bringing flashbacks of his capture and torture.

His mind was fuzzy, he couldn’t remember what was happening.

‘Where am I?’

‘Am I sick?’

‘Am I dying?’

 

The only conclusion he could logically think of was that he was back in his owner’s basement.

Maybe he had been drugged again.

But it didn’t make sense, even that idea seemed like a distant memory.

He wasn’t there anymore.

He knew this.

‘Why wasn’t he there?’

 

The pounding noise in his ears was getting louder.

It felt like his skull had its own pulse.

He could feel his head getting hotter and hotter.

His chest was tightening, it almost felt like it was on fire.

He briefly wondered if he was having a heart attack.

 

He thought he heard somebody saying his name, but he couldn’t be sure.

It sounded far away, like he was underwater.

Suddenly the feeling of drowning crossed his mind and his body made him feel it.

Black spots started clouding his vision and everything was becoming blurry.

He felt himself stumble a couple of steps, not in any particular direction.

 

He could feel hands on his arms, holding him still, it was the voice from earlier. Saying his name again.

Someone was in front of him.

He couldn’t focus.

He felt like he was going to pass out.

Honestly, he wanted to.

At least this feeling would be over.

 

He figures he must be going crazy.

But if he lost control anything could happen.

Anyone could hurt him.

 

He hasn’t felt this scared in a long, long time.

Not since before Pete—

Pete.

He wants Pete.

‘Pete is safe.’

‘Where is Pete?’

 

‘Nothing feels real.’

He felt like someone took away his common sense and memories of his recovery, leaving nothing behind but fear and self-doubt to mix with the bad memories.

What if he really was imagining everything?

It had been one of his biggest fears since he met Pete.

What if it was all something he made up in his head?

What if this was all a dream?

 

‘How do I make this stop?’

‘I don’t like this.’

‘I can’t breathe...’

‘My owner is going to kill me for this.’

 

The flashbacks started again.

Being chained up in the basement, only feeling pain.

 

‘It feels real.’

 

He felt himself falling.

It felt like he was slow motion.

He waited for the impact of the concrete floor hitting him.

 

But it never came.

He felt someone’s arms around him, laying him down.

The floor was soft.

‘Why is the concrete soft?’

 

He tried to open his eyes to look around.

Above him he could see someone kneeling over him.

There was a cool hand on the side of his face.

He waited for the sting of a slap or punch.

Nothing came.

There is no way this is the basement of his owner.

Whoever the person above him was, they seemed gentle.

 

The touch seemed familiar.

The wish of knowing who was being so gentle was the last thing to cross his mind before he finally slipped into the darkness of unconsciousness.

 

‘…trick?’

 

‘Patrick?’

 

‘…an you hear me? Patr…’

 

‘…’re safe. Patrick, you’re safe…’

 

Patrick could hear someone talking to him.

It was the same voice as before.

 

Slowly he opened his eyes. 

At first he only saw the underneath of his bed.

There were clothes and blankets next to him.

The ceiling light was bright.

He squinted at it, using his hand to block some of it.

He heard someone say ‘get the light’ and then it was gone.

In the doorway he saw Ben and Kevin. They were staring back at him with so much concern that it scared him a bit.

Someone was petting his hair.

He couldn’t see them at first.

Then he felt their hand move to cup his face.

“Trick?”

That voice.

He knows that voice.

Pete.


	68. Umbrella Academy?

The alpha leaned forward.

For a moment Patrick couldn’t figure out why his boyfriend was upside down.

He felt something shift under his head.

He adjusted himself and realized his head had been laying in Pete’s lap.

Slowly memories of what happened came flooding back to him.

He had an attack and passed out.

Pete must’ve caught him.

How long had he been out?

 

Feelings of guilt and fear came over him.

Pete shouldn’t have to worry about him like this.

He should’ve controlled himself better.

Even though he was thinking clearer than he had before, a lot of things from his past still lingered in his thoughts.

Namely the fact that his previous owner said emotions were not allowed.

Logically he knew and believed Pete was different, but he had been so conditioned to believe that he was wrong all the time, that he felt the need to make up for being emotional.

‘I should apologize.’

‘I shouldn’t have let that happen.’

 

Patrick stared up at Pete. 

The alpha was staring back at him, wearing a concerned look that matched his brothers faces.

“Trick?”

 

‘Why isn’t Pete mad?’

 

“I’m sorry.”

Patrick could feel himself getting worked up.

His eyes had filled up with tears and he was sniffling slightly.

 

Pete’s expression had changed to one of confusion.

“Trick why are you—”

Patrick pushed himself to roll on his side and into a sitting position before moving into Pete’s lap, wrapping his arms around him and hiding his face in the alphas neck.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”

“Patrick, you don’t have any reason to apologize. I don’t know why you think you do. But, Trick, I love you. I knew this would be difficult and probably lead to an attack. It isn’t something you can control and I wouldn’t expect you too.”

“I don’t want you to be mad at me.” Patrick whispered into the skin on Pete’s neck.

“Why would I be mad at you?” Pete was utterly confused. He had never been mad at Patrick. The idea of being mad in a situation like this was inconceivable.

Patrick didn’t answer.

Just pushed his face against Pete’s neck a little harder.

Pete was rubbing circles on the omega’s back, trying to get the tears to stop before he asked anymore questions.

Everything had happened so fast.

When they walked into the room Patrick stopped and turned in a circle.

He had never let go of Pete’s hand, but his grip got looser and weaker by the second.

Pete had tried to ask him if he was okay, but the omega hadn’t responded. 

He tried to call out his name a few times too.

He let go of Patrick’s hand in favor of holding his arms so he could try to steady him and get his attention.

Ben and Kevin had heard the commotion and ran into the room too.

When Patrick collapsed Pete caught him, slowly lowering both of them to the floor and laying Patrick’s head in his lap while they tried to wake him up.

The omega was only out for a minute or so.

But it was longer than anybody was comfortable with.

Patrick seemed confused when he woke up, for a second Pete thought maybe he was trapped in one of his flashbacks again.

But the unnecessary apologies and sweet voice told him Patrick was at least lucid enough to know and recognize Pete as ‘safe’.

 

It was another ten minutes before they moved.

Kevin and Ben had gone back downstairs when the pizza was delivered.

Pete hadn’t let go of Patrick, the omega hadn’t leaned back yet, but he wasn’t crying anymore.

 

“Trick?” Pete tried again.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to be.”

“Yes I do, I shouldn’t have let that happen. You shouldn’t have had to deal with that. I didn’t mean to let—that happen, I just couldn’t stop it from happening. When I saw all my stuff… My anxiety just took over and then the flashbacks happened and –”

Patrick was getting worked up again, his voice was quiet and shaky.

Pete grabbed Patrick’s chin gently and tilted his head back until their eyes met. “There is not any reason for you to be sorry or embarrassed for feeling anything. Earlier you said you didn’t want me to be mad, what did you mean by that?”

Patrick was quiet. He tried to look away from Pete. Diverting his eyes to the side from where his chin was still in Pete’s grasp.

Pete waited patiently a moment before tapping the underside of his chin lightly and saying, “Look at me.”

Patrick didn’t obey right away, he closed his eyes and sighed. Waiting a few seconds before slowing meeting Pete’s gaze.

Patrick truly didn’t know where to start. He didn’t want to hurt Pete’s feelings. Saying what he was thinking might.

“I um, please don’t take it personal or hate me…because I’m not comparing you to him…my last…the guy who had me…he would punish me if I showed emotion. I know you’re not him and I know you don’t think that way, but when I was…having my flashbacks, I felt like I was back there again. I was afraid I was going to be punished for freaking out like I always was. I really didn’t mean to associate it with you, honest. My brain got all muddled up and everything was too much and confusing and I just got scared. The idea of letting you down or disappointing you is the worst thing I can imagine so please don’t hate me.”

Patrick’s words had run together for the most part. Only taking a breath when the next word or phrase scared him to say out loud.

Saying these things to Pete’s face was hard enough.

It didn’t help that Pete was still holding his chin to make him meet his eyes.

“Patrick, I could never hate you. And I am not disappointed or angry or upset at any of that. I know this is hard for you. But I am glad that you told me. As for the emotions, you’re right. I would never make you hide them or ignore them.”

“Thank you.”

Pete smiled and shook his head fondly and rested their foreheads together. “You deserve so much more love than you believe you do.”

Patrick didn’t know what to say to that. 

He never knew what to say to compliments.

“Are you hungry? The pizza is downstairs.” Pete tried.

“Yeah. Just…”

“Anything you want, it’s yours.”

“Scent me. Please?”

“Your wish is my command.”

Patrick blushed and smiled for the first time since getting to the house and pushed his face into Pete’s neck again, tilting his own in the process.

 

Thankfully scenting each other seemed to calm him down quite a bit. He was nowhere near as shaky as he had been. Pete was calmer too, relaxing in the feeling of Patrick’s scent mixing with his own.

Back downstairs it was quiet.

Even though Pete and Patrick had come to some kind of terms about what happened, Ben and Kevin were still on edge from seeing their brother faint.

His brothers were sitting on one couch and he was sitting as close to Pete as he could without being in his lap.

Kevin and Ben kept glancing over at him. 

The few times that they made eye contact their stares proved to be a bit much and Patrick ducked his head, slightly submitting when his instincts got too overwhelming.

It wasn’t until Patrick mentioned going back upstairs after they were done eating that everything got tense.

“Patrick…are you sure this is what you want to do? After what just happened?” Kevin, he wasn’t yelling, but he wasn’t calm.

“Kev…” Ben tried.

“No, he just collapsed after walking into the room. If he goes back up there and tries to spend time in there what makes you think that nothing worse will happen?”

“Kevin, you need to calm down.” Pete pushed a bit of his alpha voice out. He didn’t necessarily intend to, but Patrick’s scent and mood shifted to being even more submissive.

 

“Alright, alright, everybody calm down.” Ben said, looking at everyone. “Patrick came here to see us, this house, and his room. If he wants to try again he has the right.”

“He had an anxiety attack and collapsed!”

“And Pete caught him.”

“I don’t want him to get hurt.” Kevin all but whined.

“None of us want him to get hurt.”

“I am right here.” Patrick sounded somewhat annoyed, but his gaze was down and his voice was still softer than normal.

“I’m sorry Patrick.” Ben was the first to respond. He felt genuinely guilty about how everything was going. This was the first time Patrick was home since he was thirteen and so far it hadn’t exactly gone well.

Their mother didn’t even know that he was home yet. She had yet to come out her room.

 

Kevin sighed, but didn’t say anything. Instead he got up and walked out of the room.

Another thing that made Patrick feel guilty.

 

“Patrick anything you want to do is perfectly fine. Don’t let what he says get to you. He doesn’t…he’s just a bit touchy about all this.”

“So am I.” Patrick stood up and turned to look back at Pete, reaching down to grab his boyfriend’s hand. “C’mon Pete.”

Pete was up in an instant, following behind Patrick to his room.

This time there was less hesitation.

Patrick walked right back in. Stopping in the same spot in the middle of the room that he collapsed at earlier.

“This is real Pete.”

“Yes.” Pete wasn’t sure if he was supposed to respond. But the need to reaffirm Patrick’s statement to him was somehow important.

Slowly Patrick walked to different parts of his room.

He didn’t say anything, not until he got to the picture of himself with Gerard and Brendon.

“This picture, we took it just a few days before…we were camping in Gerard’s back yard that weekend.”

Pete smiled at the thought of Patrick actually enjoying a part of his childhood and squeezed his hand.

“You can bring it with you, back to LA.”

“I think I will. It’s one of the only memories from this town that I actually want to hold onto.”

Pete looked around the room more this time, relaxed that Patrick was at ease enough to at least think about something good.

“They really kept everything as it was huh?” A rhetorical question, but that didn’t stop Patrick from answering.

“It feels like time forgot this place.”

“We don’t have to pack anything today. We can come back the next few days so you have time to think and process and stuff.”

“Okay. There isn’t much that I think I’ll take actually. Most of what I want to keep with me is photos and stuff.”

“Anything you want.”

 

“Thank you for doing this with me.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to. I like doing things with you, I don’t care what they are. As long as you’re happy, healthy, safe, that’s all I want to try and get out of it.”

Patrick took one last spin, eyes not focusing on much, but stopping when he saw a clump of papers sticking out of his old backpack hanging on his chair.

Stepping forward, still pulling Pete along next to him he reached down and pulled it out.

Smiling he turned to Pete and tilted it to show him the cover.

“Umbrella Academy?”

“Gee used to like to write comics. This was one of my favorites that he did so he made me a copy.”

Pete couldn’t miss the way Patrick’s entire demeanor changed when he picked up the crumpled old papers.

“What’s it about?”

Smirking, Patrick handed him the comic and said, “Read it, you’ll be impressed. Gee was always a good writer. The characters in this one always made me feel less like I was some sort of freak, less alone.”

“I believe you.” Pete took the comic, smiling at the scribbled characters on the cover.

 

Pete read through the comic quickly, smiling at some parts, raising his eyebrows in surprise at others.

“I knew he was always talented, but this is shocking for a twelve-year old.”

“Gee always wrote stuff. Anything he could think to write down was scribbled on a piece of paper at some point. He never thought like most of the other kids. I guess that’s why he was friends with Bren and me.”

“I’m glad you guys are friends, and that you were friends then.”

“Me too. I don’t think I would be here without them. The saved me from myself even before I was sold.”

Pete didn’t like what it sounded like Patrick was implying, suicide isn’t something a twelve-year old should be thinking about.

The alpha didn’t know what to say, he had dealt with suicide too. He had tried to go through with it, but he had Andy. 

Andy had always known what to say.

“I know how that feels.” Was the first thing that Pete let slip past his lips.


	69. The Twilight Zone

Back in the living room, Kevin had come back, he had said a quiet and hesitant apology and took his seat back beside Ben.

“What time are we going back to Gee’s parent’s house?”

“Whenever you want to.” Pete answered easily.

“What time is it in LA? I want to call Joe before we go to sleep, and I don’t want to get in late and wake anybody up.”

“Okay. Um, here were two hours ahead so, its about six-thirty back home.”

“Can we go back now? The sun is almost down.”

Patrick didn’t like the idea of being out at night. 

Not that he didn’t trust Pete to look after him, but he didn’t want to be the reason that anything happened to his boyfriend. 

“Of course.” Pete stood up and waited as Patrick said goodbye to his brothers. 

It was mostly quiet outside.

Distant sirens and people yelling undecipherable things made Pete feel slightly at home, in a weird way.

Los Angeles was big and loud too. 

Never a moments rest.

But here, things were slightly off, like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

 

Walking back down the street Patrick held tightly onto Pete’s arm with one hand, in his other hand he had the photo from his wall and Gerard’s comic book.

Keeping a couple of those things close made him remember that this was real.

 

Nobody talked to them and Patrick kept his gaze down if they passed anyone.

Pete hadn’t faltered in his grip on Patrick and resorted to his old habit of growling at anyone that he thought was too close.

Thankfully they made it back to the house without any problems. 

 

Gerard and Frank were already in bed, and despite the Way parents being in the house, Pete doubts it would stop them from fucking like rabbits.

Brendon was laying across Tyler and Josh’s laps on the couch.

“How did it go?” Brendon looked up at Patrick.

He flinched at first but decided that he could go into more detail tomorrow, “Okay. Rough at first but, okay. Were gonna go to bed.”

“Night.”

 

Back in the guest room, Pete got started on sorting through their bag and Patrick sat patiently on the bed waiting for Joe to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hi Andy, it’s Patrick.”

A sigh of relief came over the phone, then “Hi Trick, how’d it go?”

“Uh, okay. Some things happened. But by the time we left I think everything was okay.”

“I take it you wanna talk to Joe?”

“Yes please.”

A shuffling sound reached him and then an excited, “PATRICK?!”

“Haha hi Joe.”

“Talk. Tell me everything.” Joe could hear the angst in his friend’s voice, despite the other omega trying to hide it.

“I had a panic-anxiety attack thing when we went into my old room today. I passed out.”

“Shit, you okay?”

“I’m not hurt, Pete caught me before I hit the ground. It was like I was stuck in one of my flashbacks and couldn’t remember anything else. Everything felt real and not real too. I just don’t get it, I mean its like all of my panic happens at really inconvenient times. He said it happened really fast but to me it felt like it lasted forever.”

“I’m not surprised, anxiety and PTSD drags its self out because the person who has it is usually anxious about their anxiety as well as their triggers. You can’t control when it’s going to happen. And if you tried you might just stress yourself out more. How did your brothers react?”

“Ben seemed calm. Kevin freaked a bit. He didn’t want me to go back in.”

“I take it you did?”

“Yeah. The second time was a lot easier.” 

“Are you glad you went back?”

“I’m not sure yet. I think I’ll be able to work through my thoughts and emotions in ways I might not’ve been able to if I hadn’t.”

“Good. As long as the benefits outweigh the emotional toll. And I think I know the answer already, but is Pete staying close? The idea of him not being with you freaks me out.”

“The only time we were apart was when we first got here and I was talking to Gee’s mom, he was just in the next room. Since then he hasn’t left my side and he isn’t going to either.” Patrick looked pointedly at Pete next to him who smirked then moved his hand in a cross over his heart and held it up.

“Alright. How is everyone there then?”

“Bren actually seems a bit off, Pete says its because his heat it close. Gee seems fine, but Frank is, I don’t know. It doesn’t look like he’s slept in ages.”

“He’s always had trouble sleeping, but I imagine in Chicago its worse. What is Bren doing?”

“He’s just, I don’t know. He’s arguing more and he seems really agitated.”

“Hopefully he goes into heat soon and gets his hormones leveled out again.”

“Yeah. What are you guys up to?” Patrick changed the subject, not out of discomfort, he just wants to make sure he pays as much attention to Joe’s life and he does for Patrick.

“We just got home from work a little bit ago, tonight we’ll catch up on some overdue sex, were maybe gonna pack some more and tomorrow our landlord is stopping in.”

Patrick had rolled his eyes at the beginning, only Joe could list off sex like it belonged on a grocery list. But the last part, the landlord is coming, he winced at that, “He’s an alpha, isn’t he?”

“Yeah. I’ve never met him though. Usually when he came by before Pete would take me somewhere and Andy would deal with him.”

“Oh, I’m sorry were not there. We should’ve—” Just like that guilt about interfering with Joe’s relationship with Pete came flooding back.

“No, no, no, hey…I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s okay really. I’m just gonna stay out of the room while he’s here.”

“Okay. Call me after he’s gone and let me know you’re okay though…please.”

“Of course.”

“I don’t like the idea of a random alpha being there.”

“Neither do I but Andy’s here, so it’s not like anything will happen.”

“Yeah, tell him to be careful too.”

Joe smiled at that, “I will.”

 

Pete watched as Patrick talked to Joe, relieved that he was so calm now. 

He couldn’t help but wonder what Joe would have to deal with tomorrow. 

Personally, he wished that he were there to at least take Joe out of the apartment or keep him company until the landlord left. 

Not that he regretted coming with Patrick, he loved being with his boyfriend.

He was just guilty for leaving Joe and Andy when they needed him too.

 

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Patrick saying goodnight to Joe, “Pete, Andy wants to talk to you.” Patrick handed over the phone and stood up to sort through their bag for one of Pete’s shirts to sleep in.

“Andy?”

“Sounds like today went alright, considering.”

“It was rough at first but, I think we’ll be okay. How is everything?”

“We still have some packing to do. After the landlord comes tomorrow, we are going to pick up the keys and start dropping off stuff there. When everyone gets back we can start picking rooms.”

“Good. Sooner we get everything settled the better. What about the landlord?”

“I don’t expect it to go smoothly but I don’t think it will be too much of a problem.”

“I wish I could help.”

“I know. But I promise I will call if anything happens, and Joe already promised to call right after the guy leaves.”

“You better.” Pete said in his best imitation threatening voice.

“What about everybody else? Has Bren hit his heat yet?”

“No, but he’s definitely close. I haven’t seen him this sassy in a long time.”

“Talking back to Josh and Tyler?”

“Mostly Josh. Tyler has less tolerance for it I think and he knows that Josh will put off using his alpha voice as long as he can.”

“What about Patrick? Is he really doing okay?”

“Yeah, he is.” Pete looked over at Patrick, sitting next to him on the bed holding one of the alpha’s shirts and boxers in his hands. “He’s doin just fine.”

“Good, look out for him.”

“Of course, oh and Andy…”

“Yeah?”

“You and Joe have some fun…you’ve got the place to yourselves for at least a week so, ya know…get some.”

“Haha, we’re already there.” Pete could almost hear Andy’s smirk.

 

Once Pete hung up with Andy, he turned to see Patrick still sitting on the bed next to him holding his shirt.

He looked like he was waiting for something, but Pete wasn’t sure, he hadn’t said anything, as far as he could remember.

“Trick?”

“I’m gonna take a shower.” Patrick said quietly. He was embarrassed to be asking because he felt needy, but he wanted Pete close.

“Okay.” Pete had a feeling that he knew where this was going but seeing Patrick squirm with the question was too adorable to stop just yet.

Patrick rolled his eyes, “Well, come with me…Please?”

“Yes dear.” Pete said in as sweet of a voice as he could.

Patrick rolled his eyes again but smiled and pulled Pete into the bathroom with him.

 

Showering together had become somewhat of a common ritual every night. 

Pete never pushed for anything sexual, Patrick was definitely thankful for that.

Secretly he hoped that when the day came that he was ready to try something sexual he would feel more comfortable knowing that Pete had already seen him naked.

It was also helping with his self confidence and trust.

Sure, he trusted Pete with all of his heart, but that part of his brain that makes him panic internally at the idea of anything sexual had been slowly getting quieter every time he was with Pete. It made giving more and more trust to Pete all the easier.

He was slowly coming out of his shyness. Not completely. Never completely. Shyness would always be a core part of his personality, but he was more self-confident about himself. 

His captor had always told him how awful and disgusting he was. 

Pete told him the very opposite.

Pete always made sure to tell him how beautiful and perfect and amazing he was.

 

Despite feeling better about his day after talking with Joe and showering with Pete, Patrick didn’t sleep very well.

He was laying on his back staring out the window, listening to Pete’s breathing even out. 

The alpha was draped over his side, arms wrapped around the omega with his nose buried in his hair.

He could feel the soft puffs of Pete’s breath hitting his neck, and more than once he caught himself subconsciously tilting his head back in submission. 

As relaxed as he felt with Pete covering half of his body, he didn't, couldn't let his mind calm down enough to sleep.

Instead he laid awake tracing Pete's tattoos and playing with his hair.

 

 

It was close to 2am when Patrick saw a light appear under the doorway of their room.

For a moment Patrick thought he might be hallucinating, like maybe they really were in the Twilight Zone, but the floorboards creaked again and his heart rate sped up.

He tightened his grip on Pete’s arm, the alpha was still asleep, subconsciously tightening his grip when he felt the omega tense.

He could hear light footsteps in the hallway.


	70. Sorcerer's Stone

Patrick stayed as still as he could at first, but then he heard voices.

Hushed voices drifting through the door.

He sat up slightly to try and get a better sense of what they were saying.

“Go back to bed.”

“You go back to bed.”

“You’re gonna get us in trouble.”

 

Patrick let out a sigh when he realized it was Brendon and Gerard arguing.

Slowly he slid out from under Pete’s arm and then stepped out of the bed, trying his best not to wake Pete.

Opening the door slowly he saw Gerard flinch and step back before realizing it was Patrick.

“What are you guys doing?” Patrick whispered.

“Brendon is trying to sneak out.” Gerard whispered back angrily.

“Am not, I just need to get some air. It's too hot.” Brendon huffed.

“You are too close to your heat to be going anywhere without at least one of your alphas.”

“You sound like them.”

“They just want what’s best for you, so do we.” Patrick tried.

“Go back to bed, both of you!” Brendon whisper yelled and turned on his heel, pushing Gerard to the side to rush down the stairs.

Gerard went after him right away, but Patrick hesitated. He looked behind him at the door to where Pete was still peacefully asleep.

“I’m sorry.” Patrick whispered to the door, before turning to follow after his friends.

They were in the open doorway to the front porch and Gerard was holding onto Brendon’s arm, trying to pull him back inside.

“Get back here!” Gerard tried to whisper yell too, but the more agitated he got the more control he lost.

“I’ll be fine, just let me go.”

“What would your boyfriends say about this?”

“I don’t care.”

“Bren please, come back inside. It’s dangerous out there, you don’t know what could happen.”

Brendon flinched, through the haze of his heat he seemed to gain enough clarity to remember what happened to Patrick.

“Trick, I’m sorry. I just, I need some space.” Brendon tried to pull away from Gerard again, but the other omega was stronger and was not about to give up yet.

“You are only doing this because of your heat. Tyler and Josh will give you all the attention you want if you just ask them. Putting yourself in danger isn’t the answer.”

“B, Josh and Tyler are not gonna be happy about this.” Patrick tried again.

 

“That’s right we won’t.”

All three omegas jumped at the voice.

Josh.

Josh was standing right behind Patrick glaring at Brendon.

“Come here now.” Josh’s voice was in full alpha thrum.

 

Brendon stepped forward slowly, lowering his head once he was in front of his boyfriend.

Josh didn’t say anything to Brendon, just glared and crossed his arms.

“Gerard lock the door.”

Gerard was quick to obey before falling into place beside Patrick and lowering his head.

Patrick had lowered his gaze as soon as he’d heard Josh’s voice, too afraid to move.

 

Josh grabbed Brendon’s arm and walked him over to the couch, pushing gently on his shoulders until he sat down. The alpha continued to glare at the top of Brendon’s head, he didn’t seem to know what to do.

“You two, go get Pete, Frank and Tyler please.” Josh’s voice was still thrumming with alpha reverberations but he was trying to withhold his anger so Patrick wouldn’t be afraid.

Not needing to be told twice Patrick and Gerard turned and ran upstairs.

Patrick hesitated before going back into his room to wake up Pete.

Logically he didn’t think Pete would punish him, but he was still nervous. He felt like a kid getting sent to the principal’s office.

Pete’s eyebrows were furrowed, he was twitching slightly, and gripping onto the sheets that Patrick had been laying on earlier.

“Pete…” Patrick gently shook his shoulder. “Pete, you need to wake up.” Patrick’s voice was shaky, but he spoke in his normal speaking tone to try and wake his boyfriend.

“Mmm…Trick? What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Pete sat up quickly when he realized Patrick wasn’t lying next to him.

“I’m—I’m okay. We need to go downstairs.”

“What happened?” Pete asked already slipping out of bed to stand in front of Patrick.

“I’m sorry…Brendon tried to…we were just trying to stop him…didn’t mean to go…Josh wants us to all downstairs.” Patrick reached out and clung to Pete’s shirt burying his face in the alpha’s chest.

“Breath baby.” Pete rubbed circles on his back and hummed into his hair, “C’mon, don’t wanna keep them waiting.”

Walking out of their room they saw Gerard waiting in the hall as Frank walked out of another room with a yawning Tyler behind him.

Gerard and Patrick shared a look before walking back down to where Josh and Brendon seemingly hadn’t made any progress to make up. 

Josh was sitting on the table in front of Brendon but neither were looking at each other's eyes.

 

Tyler took one look at his boyfriends and sighed, dragging a hand over his face.

As everyone else took their seats, Tyler walked behind Josh and rubbed his shoulders, “What happened?”

Josh leaned into the touch and tried to calm himself some more, “I caught Bren trying to sneak out.”

Tyler stopped his movements and looked down at Brendon, then glanced at everyone else. “What did they do?”

Patrick tensed and pressed closer to Pete.

“Patrick and Gerard were trying to pull him back inside and stop him.”

Pete smiled gently at Patrick and kissed his temple. He could tell Patrick was scared, he probably thought he was in trouble.

Patrick always seemed to think he was in trouble for something. He was always apologizing.

“Brendon, why were you trying to leave?” Tyler, his voice was firm, but everyone could tell he was trying to remain calm.

Brendon didn’t answer, just shook his head and glared at the floor.

“Fine, Gerard, Patrick, can you please tell us what happened?” Tyler’s voice got gentler, obviously trying to avoid scaring them.

Gerard looked over at Patrick, seeing how nervous the other omega looked he leaned forward from his place on Frank’s lap to talk to Tyler.

“I heard footsteps in the hall, I could tell it was Brendon from his scent, so I went out to see what he was doing. He said he wanted air and he was going out for a walk. We started arguing and then Patrick came out. We argued some more, and Brendon ran downstairs. He tried to run out the front door. Me and Trick were trying to pull him back inside when Josh showed up.”

Gerard didn’t stop talking once, wanting to get it out as fast as possible.

Tyler seemed happy with his answer, he glanced at Patrick again, seeing how uncomfortable he was made him think twice about asking him to repeat his view of things so instead he just asked if that’s how he remembered what happened.

“Y-yea.” Patrick murmured softly.

“Josh?”

“I heard him arguing but when I looked around and saw he wasn’t in our room I went looking for him. I heard them before I saw them. Gerard and Patrick didn’t do anything wrong.” He made a point of looking directly at Patrick, trying to make sure he knew he wasn’t in trouble.

“He used his alpha voice.” Brendon spoke up for the first time.

“You put yourself in danger.” Josh argued.

Tyler put his hand on Josh’s shoulders again. “B, you know that when we do that it isn’t to be mean. Josh had every right to use his voice to protect you.”

“You would be on his side.”

Patrick and Gerard leaned further back, shocked at how cold their friends voice sounded.

“Bren, you were trying to sneak out of the house in the middle of the night, Josh only used his voice to stop you.”

“Ty, maybe he’s right and—”

“No, Josh. You didn’t do anything wrong. He needs to know that putting himself in danger isn’t the way to get something.” 

Josh looked down and didn’t say anything more.

“I’m not a child.”

“Then don’t act like one. B, I know this is your heat messing with your hormones but—”

“It isn’t fair, why do you two have to be so controlling?!”

 

Patrick listened to Brendon arguing with his alphas, he was shocked really. And slightly annoyed with his friend. 

Truthfully Patrick still didn’t know Tyler and Josh all that well, but he knew them well enough to know that they were definitely not controlling.

Not in a mean way.

He wouldn’t classify any of his friends, alphas as controlling, but that was mainly because he had always known controlling as something much worse.

 

His captor was definitely controlling. That was controlling, what Josh and Tyler were was definitely not that.

“I don’t want to be controlled!” Brendon was still arguing.

“We are not trying to control you.” Tyler said calmly. Josh’s head was still down.

“Then what do you call all of this?” Brendon gestured to everyone around them.

“B, if we are going to be a pack, then we need to make sure everybody is on the same page. You tried to sneak out tonight and if Patrick and Gerard hadn’t caught you who knows what could’ve happened.”

“I was just going out for a bit to cool off, I was hot.”

“That’s not an excuse. If you want to go anywhere, especially in this town, then you need Josh or I to be with you.”

Patrick flinched, he knew that the reason they were so paranoid in this town was because of him.

“I wasn’t alone, Gerard and Patrick were right there!”

“Do you even hear yourself? Anybody could’ve been out there. What would happen if someone had tried to hurt one of you? Would you really put Patrick and Gerard in danger just to spite us for being ‘controlling’?”

Brendon did cringe but didn’t give up his front. “They didn’t have to follow me down here.”

That was enough.

Patrick had enough.

“Shut up B.” Everyone froze and stared at him. “We followed you because we don’t want anything to happen to you. In case you’ve forgotten I know exactly what can happen in this town to omega’s who aren’t protected. And you don’t know the first thing about a ‘controlling’ alpha. Being protective and being abusive are not the same thing. And I know that a lot of what you said tonight is because of your heat but that’s no excuse to take out your pain on them. Josh didn’t do anything wrong when he used his alpha voice and Tyler didn’t do anything wrong when he took Josh’s side.”

“Patrick…” Brendon had some tears pooling in his eyes, he didn’t want Patrick of all people to be mad at him.

Patrick stared at his friend for a moment before shaking his head and rolling his eyes as he pressed against Pete again.

For a while nobody said anything. Too shocked at how Patrick snapped, at Brendon of all people.

“Patrick, please don’t hate me.” Brendon said quietly.

“I don’t hate you B. I’m sorry I snapped, but, hearing you say those things about Josh and Tyler was hard. Because I think those things about the guy that held me captive. They are not even close to being similar people.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not the one you should be sorry to.”

“You’re right.” Brendon looked down at his lap, then up at Tyler, “Can we talk upstairs? Please?”

“Josh?” Tyler asked gently.

The other alpha nodded and followed his boyfriends to the stairs before turning to Patrick, “Thanks Trick.”

Patrick gave a small smile back and ducked his head when he felt himself blush.

“Well, ready for bed? Again?” Pete asked softly.

With a nod, the four of them were retreating back to their own rooms too.

 

“I’m really proud of you.”

“Why do I feel like such a horrible friend?”

“Because sometimes standing up to your friends requires as much bravery as standing up to your enemies.”

Patrick looked over his shoulder at Pete, “Sounds smart, where’d you come up with that?”

“A book. Harry Potter and the something or other. Ask Joe, he talked about that book for a month after he read it.” Pete shrugged.

“I still feel bad.”

“B needed to hear it. Coming from you, I think it has finally got through his brain. If anything, you made the next day or so easier on Tyler and Josh. Once his heat hits they’ll all be more relaxed.”

“I hope you’re right.”


	71. I'm Not Selling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mostly Joe and Andy. <3
> 
> The fucking landlord is also in this chapter. >:(  
> Pardon my french, but I've managed to become immensely annoyed with my own fictional character.  
> I just really hate the landlord.
> 
> Sorry for rambling, just wanted you to know.
> 
> BTW thanks for reading, next chapter will be posted tomorrow. :)

Morning brought a tenseness that nobody was ready for.

Sitting at the table for breakfast was probably the longest awkward quiet Patrick remembers having.

It was obvious that Brendon had made up with his alphas, at least for now. He was sandwiched between them, head resting on Josh’s shoulder as Tyler added more food to his plate, softly murmuring something about keeping his strength up for his heat.

Frank and Gerard both had circles under their eyes and were leaning into each other while they ate.

Patrick and Pete shared a look, the alpha shrugged, not sure where to start the conversation either and focused on his plate.

The only one who seemed remotely curios was Mikey. 

He was glancing around at everybody every couple of seconds, waiting to see who broke the tension first.

The sound of silverware scaping on plates was the only noise for what seemed like ages before Mikey had enough and snapped.

“What the fuck?” His voice was it’s usual calm, but it was hard, obviously directed towards finding an answer.

 

For a moment everyone stopped moving and looked up, glancing sideways and across at each other until Pete decided to take control.

Without Andy here to mediate it was his place after all.

“Um, last night, there was a bit of an incident. But everyone made up, or so I thought?” Pete left it as a question, hoping it would make his friends feel more welcome to join in on the conversation.

Mikey raised his eyebrows at Pete, they shared matching looks as they looked at the others.

“Brendon’s heat is coming soon, and he’s not quite himself,” Tyler started gently, laying a hand on the omega’s thigh, “He almost left last night. Gee and Trick stopped him, and there was an argument.”

“An argument between who?”

“First with me and Josh, then with Patrick. Although, with Patrick it was less of an argument and more of a…realization.”

“Patrick I really am sorry about last night. I shouldn’t have said those things and I shouldn’t have tried to leave or yelled at you and Gee when you tried to make me stay.” Brendon interjected. He kept his head down, not even shifting his eyes up.

“B, I told you last night, I forgive you. And, I know if you weren’t so close to your heat you wouldn’t have done or said those things. I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have been so rude when I—”

“No, its okay. I needed to hear it. You were right anyway.”

The tension seemed to linger a bit, but the air was mostly filled with relief.

“So, what are everyone’s plans today?”

“Packing, mostly.”

“Let me know when you’re ready to put stuff in the trailer. Its in the driveway, I just need to unlock it.”

“B’s heat might hit today, so, we are not doing anything.” Tyler gestured to himself and his boyfriends, giving them both a pointed look.

“Do you want to go back to your old house today again or…”

“Later. I don’t want to be there all day. Maybe after lunch. Hopefully after Joe calls to let us know he’s okay.”

“Something happen with Joe?”

“Our current building’s landlord is coming over and he isn’t the biggest fan of omegas.”

“Shit. I wish we were there.”

 

Meanwhile in LA…

Andy woke up to the familiar feeling of Joe’s hair tickling his face.

Smiling he tilted his head to look down at his mate. 

Last night they spent most of their time after dinner in bed.

Joe had hickeys covering his neck and collarbone matching the bruises in the shape of Andy’s hand all over his hips and thighs. He looked beautiful, and Andy swore he could see the ghost of a smile on his face as he slept.

Looking at the alarm clock told him it was still early. 

Too early to be waking Joe up just yet.

Andy settled back down and let the weight of Joe’s head on his chest settle while he dozed off slightly.

 

When he woke again, he noticed that Joe was no longer in bed.

It wasn’t particularly early, but Joe wasn’t normally up at this time unless they had work. And he never usually got up before Andy.

Just as he was about to climb out of bed the door opened, and Joe walked in, with plates of food balancing on two glasses of orange juice.

Andy winced at the way Joe limped, “Thank you, but I should be doin that for you.”

Joe just smiled and shook his head, “You’ve had enough to do.”

He and Joe had gotten rough before, but Andy had never let them go to bed without doing something, anything to ease the pain a bit. Joe didn’t normally limp this much. 

Last night after they were done Joe wanted cuddles. He didn’t question it then, but they fell asleep. Joe didn’t get all the aftercare he normally gets, and it definitely shows.

“At least relax here with me while we eat.”

“Of course.” Joe waited for Andy to take his meal before climbing onto their bed too.

It took a moment to get comfortable, Andy didn’t miss the way he scrunched up his face in pain when he first sat down.

“Joe…”

“I’m okay.”

“You’re in pain, that’s not okay. You should've been given aftercare last night.” Andy insisted, pushing his plate away.

“I’m just a little sore. It’s not like we haven’t—”

“I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have been so rough with you, I should’ve taken better care of you before we fell asleep—”

“Babe. Really…I’m not upset. Please don’t be upset on my behalf. It’s not as bad as whatever your brain is thinking. We were both tired, I don’t blame you for anything because there isn’t anything to blame anyone for.”

Huffing in defeat Andy picked up his plate and said, “Fine. For now. As soon as you get done eating, you’re relaxing and you are letting me take care of you without complaining.”

“Andy really--” Joe tried.

“Joe…please.”

“I’ll do anything if it will make you feel better.” Joe responded seriously.

 

Andy couldn’t help but smirk at how cute Joe looked despite knowing his discomfort. The omega was only wearing a pair of boxers and one of Andy’s t-shirts.

True to his word, as soon as Joe was done eating, Andy stood up and went into their bathroom to run some hot water for a bath.

When he came back, he started removing the omega’s clothes. Slowly and gently like he was afraid Joe was gonna break into a million pieces.

Joe looked up at his boyfriend and smiled fondly.

Andy wasn’t wearing anything. 

Normally he would be way too turned on to let anything other than sex happen, but Andy looked down, like he does when he feels guilty, probably blaming himself.

He really didn’t feel like he was in a lot of pain. But judging by the look of determination in his boyfriend’s face, he knew convincing Andy that he was fine is already a lost cause.

Andy scooped up Joe in is arms and carried him into the bathroom, still being as gentle as ever as he lowered him into the water.

Joe sighed and leaned back, staring up at his alpha again. “You joining me?”

Andy hesitated, of course he wants to be close to Joe. But he also needs to make sure he’s taken care of properly. That’s his first priority.

“Please?” Joe wasn’t above begging Andy if it meant the alpha would relax too.

His mate was tense, and there was no way he would let himself relax if Andy didn’t.

Andy really couldn’t argue with Joe. 

Sighing he nodded and waited for Joe to lean forward enough that he could step in and sit down behind him.

Joe waited for Andy to lean back then let himself fall against the alpha’s chest.

Andy pressed his face down into Joe’s hair, “I’m sorry.”

Joe sighed and tilted his head, exposing his neck to Andy’s mouth, “Scent me.”

“Joe, no. You need to rest and—”

“So do you. It will calm both of us.”

Andy didn’t respond at first, just staring off into space while he debated whether or not to comply with his mates wishes.

Almost a full minute had gone by before Andy gave in and buried his face in Joe’s neck.

 

Another hour and Joe was mostly asleep in Andy’s arms.

Joe’s body felt calm and loose, Andy had washed him and given him a massage, at least on the parts of his body that he could reach.

By the time Andy had maneuvered himself and Joe enough to carry his mate back to their bedroom Joe was completely asleep.

Andy dried him off, making sure to be as gentle as possible with the lower half of his body and pulled the covers up over his shoulders.

As much as he wanted to stay in bed with his boyfriend, he had to get ready for the landlord’s visit. Which unfortunately was in about a half hour.

With any luck he’ll be able to make things go by as quickly as possible and get the guy out before Joe wakes up again.

Quickly he pulled on some clothes and did a quick sweep of the apartment, trying to make things look as presentable as he could. It wasn’t too hard, most of their stuff in the living room and kitchen was already in boxes, ready to be moved to the new house.

 

As if on que there was a knock at the door.

Andy sighed and moved to open the door. “Hello.”

“Mr. Hurley, good to see you.”

Truthfully their landlord wasn’t an aggressive person, he was polite in the general sense. He was never blatantly rude towards Andy. He just made some, vulgar and mostly offensive or demeaning comments about omegas whether there was an omega nearby or not.

“Come in.” Andy gestured behind him and stepped to the side.

“So, you said you’re moving?”

“Yeah, within the next two weeks we’ll be out.”

“Ah, so your loud roommate is going with you.”

The landlord had never met Pete in person. But he had heard him while he was showing other apartments in the building. 

Or so he said.

Andy never thought Pete was that loud when they were at home. Sure, there were moments, but for the most part Pete tried to be as calm as he could, especially after Joe came along, he didn’t want to startle the omega in the beginning, but after a while the need to be loud kind of subsided in him.

Andy attributed it to the presence of an omega being a calming factor for his friend.

“Yeah, he’s coming with me.”

“And that omega you two keep here?”

Andy clenched his jaw, “He’s also coming with us.”

“Good, I never saw the purpose of keeping those things around, but most tenants have one or two so it don’t do any good to ban them. I would just loose business.”

Andy didn’t respond to that, just counted to ten in his head and tried not to think about punching the guys face in too much.

“Well, is there any problems I should know about before renting it out after you leave?” The guy pulled out a check list, “My wife gave me this, she’ll give me hell if I don’t check everything off.”

“I don’t think we’ve had any problems, the heat and air work fine. The water and electric are good.” Andy tried to keep his answers short, hoping the coldness of the conversation would drive the guy to want to finish quicker.

“Fire escape still sturdy?”

“Yes.”

“Refrigerator and stove?”

“Just as they were when we moved in.”

“Good. Now, lets get a walk through?”

Andy flinched; he should’ve seen this coming. “What for?”

“Need to make sure there’s no mold or major damage to be fixed before we rent out again.”

The guy stepped further into the apartment, looking up at the ceiling and down along the floorboards, nodding to himself every few minutes.

When they got to Pete’s room, Andy opened the door and stood inside the entry way.

“The loud one not here again?”

“He’s out of town with his boyfriend.”

“He take that omega with him?”

Andy stopped himself from rolling his eyes, “No. Pete has his own omega. The omega from before is my boyfriend and he’s asleep.”

The man huffed and shook his head, “You’d be better off getting a beta or something. Omegas can’t be trusted, keep your eye out, it might steal or run off in the middle of the night and cause trouble.”

Another clenched jaw was all Andy could do not to snap.

When Andy got to his room he cringed when he heard Joe moving inside. 

This is definitely not how he wanted to do this.

“My room isn’t much different from Pete’s and like I said my boyfriend is asleep, so id rather not go in right now.” Andy tried to cover.

“Huh, now I’ve heard it all. People trying to accommodate for those things…its nonsense. We’ll have to go in, I need to finish my inspection before I can clear it and give you your deposit back.”

Andy mentally prayed that Joe would’ve put some clothes on and would know what to do, the last thing he wanted was any kind of confrontation. 

At the store the omega could behave exactly like society expected him too, but Andy always made it a point to stop him from doing it at home.

Andy opened the door slowly, hoping to give his mate some time to move or at least go into the bathroom.

When he finally did open the door all the way he saw Joe sitting on the edge of the bed, thankfully fully clothed.

“Joe—” Andy started, but cut himself off when the omega moved and dropped to his knees behind Andy’s legs.

The landlord raised his eyebrows but shook his head, “Well at least it knows how to behave itself.”

Andy clenched his jaw again and reached a hand behind him to rest in Joe’s hair.

When the landlord went into their bathroom Andy stayed where he was in the doorway and looked down at his mate and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Joe didn’t respond verbally, but he nuzzled his face into Andy’s leg and pushed out calming scents to show the alpha that he was okay.

Truthfully it wasn’t the worst thing someone has said to him. People at the store are way worse.

Andy was scratching lightly at Joe’s scalp when the landlord came back in.

For an uncomfortable moment the landlord eyed Joe, like he was contemplating whether he should address him or not.

Andy hoped not.

There was no way any of it would be positive.

“He obedient?” He asked looking back at Andy.

Truthfully Andy didn’t know where he was going with this, so he nodded slowly.

“How old is it?”

Andy almost growled, getting sick of the guy called Joe ‘it’ but he felt his boyfriend press against his leg again and calmed himself down. “Nineteen.”

“Alright, we can finish the rest of this in the living room.” The guy turned back to his clipboard as if they were discussing weather and walked out of the room but stopped and waited for Andy to follow.

“Stay in here Joe.” Andy said carefully, hoping Joe would get the message. He didn’t like the idea of leaving Joe alone but locked in their bedroom was the safer option right now.

“Nah, bring it along, I’d like to speak with you about it.”

He watched as the landlord walked away then looked down at Joe and shared a look of confusion and slight panic. If he refused the landlord might try something that would result in Joe getting accused of something or Andy getting accused of not controlling his omega, they could be kicked out early before they have the keys to their new place. Well, Joe could be kicked out. But Andy wouldn't let Joe go anywhere alone.

He waited for the guy to be out of sight before gently tilting Joe’s head back, “Baby?”

“I know you don’t want me near him but please don’t leave me alone. I just want to be close to you until he leaves.” Joe looked like he was close to tears, obvious panic overtaking him.

Andy wanted nothing more than to make Joe stay in their room and lock the door, but Joe looked scared now, and leaving him alone would only make his anxiety worse.

Andy saw the landlord sitting comfortably on the couch and suppressed another sigh. Not that it would’ve mattered, this guy doesn’t seem to understand social cues at all.

The guy might be totally unaware of how rude he is but he should at least be a little hesitant to make himself comfortable without being told to make himself at home.

Andy took a seat opposite from him and Joe followed along too, slightly shaking as he kneeled next to Andy’s legs again.

“So, a few more questions, any pest problems? Ya know mice or insects?”

“No.”

“Any complaints about the neighbors?”

“No.”

“Any security problems?”

“No.”

 

A stream of meaningless questions went on for what Andy thought was too long for a normal inspection. 

There was something about him today, he couldn’t figure it out. 

Something about the guy was off though. 

More than usual.

After a few more questions the landlord got quiet again and put down his papers.

 

“You ever interested in selling? My brother has been looking to buy one.” The guy gestured to Joe.

“No.” Andy’s tone wasn’t reserved anymore, it was hard and clipped, as harsh as he could sound without actually growling.

Joe had froze, this was the last thing he expected to hear today.

Andy leaned forward defensively and pressed his leg against Joe’s shoulder to try and give his mate comfort with some kind of touch.

“You sure? The young ones go for good money.” 

“I’m not interested.”

“Just think about it. Looks like you’ve done a good job training it so getting a good price wouldn’t be too difficult. My brother is willing to pay top price. He wants one that's already trained, they’re too much trouble otherwise.”

Andy’s temper was quickly getting the better of him, hearing someone talk about his mate like that made him want to kill, but he knew all too well from growing up in a pack that treated omegas the way he thinks. If he told the guy off then Joe might become the target even more than he already is.

“I’m not selling him. And I’m never going to. Not for any price.”

“Too bad. If you change your mind give me a call.” He stood up and grabbed his papers, “I’ll put your deposit in your mailbox. Nice seeing you Mr. Hurley, good luck with the move.”

Andy didn’t respond, just stood up and followed him to the door, bolting the locks when it was shut again. 

“Thank fuck that’s over.”


	72. I Don't Trust Myself

Turning to Joe he saw that his boyfriend was still kneeling with his head bowed. 

He hadn’t moved at all as far as Andy could tell.

Joe didn’t normally respond like this to bigoted people.

Sure he acted submissive when strangers were around but he usually always came out of it as soon as they were gone.

Andy crouched down in front of his mate and grabbed his chin, tilting his head back until their eyes connected.

“Joe…I’m so sorry you had to hear all that.”

The omega didn’t respond, just let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes when he felt Andy kiss his forehead.

Something about the guy’s comments had hit a nerve.

Not necessarily about Joe himself. 

He was too used to hearing gross things from strangers.

Today was different. 

He hadn’t actually ever heard someone try to buy an omega in person.

Thoughts about Patrick swirled around in his head.

Someone had wanted to buy Patrick.

Someone did buy Patrick.

Someone had wanted to sell Patrick....

The thought that people could be sold just for being omega scared him.

How many omegas were out there right now experiencing something like what Patrick had?

 

Watching Joe stay quiet worried Andy further, he was obviously anxious and overthinking something.

“C’mere.” Andy pulled Joe forward, lifting him up so his legs wrapped around his waist and carried him into their bedroom.

Andy sat down with Joe in his lap, the omega’s face was still pressed into his neck but he wasn’t shaking anymore.

“Ya know, you’re still supposed to be relaxing. I know it…was hard hearing what he said but none of it will ever apply to you.”

“I know.”

“I hope so.” Andy said as he rubbed circles up and down Joe’s back.

A long moment of comfortable silence passed before Andy spoke again. “You still sore?”

“A little.”

“Then lay down. Let me take care of you some more.” Andy gently nudged Joe off his lap and into a comfortable position on his stomach before straddling the back of the omega’s legs.

Reaching into their bedside drawer he pulled out some lotion, rubbing some on his hands after he pulled Joe’s pants and boxers down to his thighs and pushed his shirt up to his shoulders.

 

Andy worked and kneaded at Joe’s muscles, smiling to himself when Joe let out small moans.

“I should’ve done this last night.”

“I thought we talked about this.”

“I still feel bad.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Well then I’m sorry about today.”

“It’s not your fault that our landlord is a piece of shit.”

“It’s my fault that you had to hear any of that.”

“No it isn’t, I didn’t want to be alone. He creeped me out, I needed to be close to you.”

“I don’t want you blaming yourself.”

“I don’t. But I don’t want you to blame yourself either.”

“Alright.” Andy sighed. “What do you want to do today? Keep in mind you are not doing anything that requires any of your strength.”

“Movie day?” Joe asked with a smile.

“Deal.”

“We have to call Pete and Patrick too. I promised I would call after the landlord left to let them know how things went.”

“You wanna call them now?” Andy had noticed how tense Joe’s body got when he remembered his promise.

“Yes please?” Joe put out submissive pheromones subconsciously.

“You don’t need to behave like that. And you most certainly don’t need to ask permission.” Andy responded, handing Joe his phone.

 

Pete answered on the first ring, putting them on speaker and nudging Patrick with his shoulder.

“You guys okay? How’d it go?” Pete sounded slightly panicked even though he tried to hide it.

Joe put him on speaker, “Hiya Petey. Were safe.”

The sigh of relief that they heard from Pete was enough to make them relax a bit.

“What happened while he was there?”

 

Joe looked over his shoulder at Andy and gave him a look that said, ‘You start’, so the alpha began retelling what happened from the moment he opened the door until now. 

Joe added bits of the story from his perspective until it go to the part about the guy wanting to buy him. 

He was to uncomfortable to say anything about that.

“Joe are you really okay?” Pete asked after Andy finished talking.

Joe hesitated, “Yeah. It just…really freaked me out. I mean…he tried to…”

“You don’t ever have to worry about that…I promise.” Andy said seriously, not sure how to reassure Joe of something he thought the omega already knew.

“I know you wouldn’t. That’s not…that’s not why. I just…you said no, right away. You didn’t hesitate to reject him...” Joe’s eyes were slowly filling with tears.

Andy nodded, still not sure of what exactly he should say.

“Patrick…he was only thirteen. And nobody…nobody was there to say no for him…” He looked back at Andy, finally letting his tears fall silently.

 

Patrick looked up at Pete, the fear and worry in his boyfriend’s eyes made him forget about himself entirely for a moment.

He rested his chin on the alpha’s shoulder and released as much of a calming scent as he could.

A silent conversation passed between their eyes before Pete was calm enough to speak again.

“Do you want to talk to Patrick?” Pete asked, his voice was shaky, like he wasn’t far from the same state as Joe.

“Is he busy?”

“I’m never too busy for you.” Patrick’s voice rang through the line softly.

“Patrick…”

“It’s okay Joe.” 

“No its not--you were…you shouldn’t have had to go through that.”

“Nobody should’ve. You shouldn’t have today either.”

“Andy was here to say no, but you—”

“I might not have had somebody to say no before. But I do now. More people than I ever thought I would have. It’s not a danger anymore. You know Pete would never do that to me.”

“I know.”

“What are you doing right now?” Patrick tried, thinking that easing Joe onto a different thought process might make him feel better.

“Andy is giving me a massage because he feels guilty.”

There was a pause where Pete could be heard chuckling in the background before Patrick said, “For what?”

Joe looked over his shoulder at his boyfriend, “Nothing that he needs to be sorry for, but he’s stubborn and won’t listen.”

“You’re both stubborn.” Pete supplied fondly.

Andy rolled his eyes at his friends. He really was thankful to have them all. Even if they weren’t all in the same place right now, hearing their voices made him feel a little more relaxed and calmer.

“What are you guys up to?” Andy asked, wiping the tears on Joe’s face away.

“Um, not much. We were waiting for you guys to call. Later were gonna go back to Trick’s old house and pack some stuff.”

“How is everyone else?”

The silence on the other end of the line made Joe and Andy share a concerned look before the alpha sighed and carefully asked, “What happened?”

“Uh…last night Bren tried to sneak out of the house.”

“Shit, why?” 

“He isn’t thinking clearly, just trying to rebel or something. But Gee and Patrick tried to stop him and then Josh caught them and there was some arguing. Everything is fine now though. I think Bren’s heat will hit today.”

“Good.”

“The sooner it does the sooner he’ll calm down some.” Joe added.

“I know he doesn’t want to get suppressants but sometimes I think they’ll be good for him.”

“That’s his choice.”

“When do you pick up the keys for the new place?”

“Tomorrow afternoon. We took off work and I’m gonna get the keys copied and we’re gonna start dropping stuff off. Were not gonna stay there until everyone gets back.”

“Well Frank and Gee have most of their stuff in the U-Haul already. We’ll be back once we get Trick’s stuff. After Bren’s heat they’re driving to Ohio, so those three will be back a few days after us.”

“Take as much time as you need Patrick.” said Andy. He knew how difficult it probably is for Patrick right now. He didn’t want to rush him if he needed to get closure.

“I don’t think I want to spend too much time here. I mean it’s nice seeing my brothers again, but my mother doesn’t even know that I’m back in the state, let alone the house.”

Joe raised his eyebrows at that, “Are you going to tell her?”

Patrick leaned into Pete’s side, sighing when he felt the alpha wrap his arms around him. “I don’t know. I’m kind of afraid of what she’ll do. I don’t want her to try anything, not on me, and definitely not on Pete.”

“You don’t need to worry about me love.”

“She sent goons to attack you in LA, who’s to say she won’t do something crazier here.”

“Patrick’s right Pete.” Andy cut in, “Don’t take any chances, on anything.”

“I won’t.”

 

After talking with Joe and Andy for almost a half hour they finally hung up and went downstairs.

Pete stopped at the stairs, sniffed the air and let out a breath of relief, “Fucking finally.”

“What?” Patrick stepped out from behind him, confused as to what had his boyfriend to relaxed all of a sudden.

“Brendon’s heat started.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows, “Should we leave?”

“Not until we make sure they’re okay.” 

Pete walked further into the house, stopping when he saw Brendon on the couch in the living room.

Brendon was writhing and moaning a string of mumbled pleas and whines while Josh pet his hair.

Patrick hadn’t actually ever seen another omega in heat before.

Seeing his best friend go through it now was enough to make him feel slightly scared. 

It looked painful.

Scary even.

His scent must’ve given him away because Josh and Pete looked back at him.

Josh smiled gently at Patrick and glanced at Pete, “It’s okay. We’re just waiting for Tyler to get the heat room downstairs set up.”

Pete stepped back slightly, not out of fear, but he knew that Josh and Tyler weren’t used to other alphas near their omega while he was in heat.

Brendon opened his eyes slightly, not focusing but lingering on Patrick for a long moment. “Trick….mmm…don’t…don’t make yourself uncomfortable.”

“I just, I’ve never seen…”

“Don’t worry…I’m…hmm…I’m okay…promise.”

Patrick didn’t know how to respond.

Brendon looked wrecked already, his eyes were lidded half closed and he was covered in a film of sweat.

It didn’t make sense to Patrick, how in just a few minutes his friend was gonna be engaging and begging for sex from not just one but two alphas. 

Even if he was in heat. 

From what Patrick had experienced, even during that first heat when he presented it was painful enough without sex.

“Trick…” Brendon lifted his arm slightly and made a grabby motion at him.

For a moment he hesitated, looking at Josh for approval or denial, when all he got was a soft smile again he stepped forward and knelt next to his friend, holding his hand tightly.

Josh continued to pet Brendon’s hair, glancing every few seconds at the doorway willing his mate to appear so they could get their omega to a safe room.

“You o-okay?”

“I should be asking you that.”

Patrick had to admit, seeing Brendon and Josh be so calm together made him relax slightly.

“An alpha’s touch helps.” Brendon smirked up at Josh. "Especially ones that are good with their hands."

After catching Patrick flinch, Brendon placed a sweaty palm on the side of his head, “Really, it does. I-I know…it’s probably d-difficult for you to think of, but…mmm…their touches make a lot…a lot of the pain go away.”

 

Tyler came back upstairs then, briefly looking to Patrick and Pete before nodding at Josh.

The blue haired alpha scooped up the panting omega easily and followed their other boyfriend out of the room.

From what he could see Brendon had melted into the alpha’s touch like it was a soft blanket.

From what his imagination could scramble together, the touch of an alpha during heat was painful.

 

For a long moment Patrick contemplated his own heat. 

It was bound to happen sooner rather than later.

The last thing he wanted was to feel that pain.

Despite what Pete, Joe and Andy have told him heat was still scary. 

Maybe even scarier than sex.

At least during sex he might be able to think somewhat clearly, but during heat he would only be able to focus on an alpha’s knot and getting mated.

The idea of being so vulnerable and unconsciously compliant was worse than any physical pain.

 

Pete looked at Patrick, briefly wondering if he should say anything, the omega looked confused.

“Wondering what it’s like?”

“It just seems so painful.”

“Not all sex is painful. And not all heats lead to sex.”

“Joe tried to explain that, but…its hard to imagine.”

“Tyler and Josh won’t hurt Brendon.”

“I know.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“My heat…it…it might be a bad one. Because I haven’t had one in so long…”

“…Maybe…” Pete didn’t want to lie, but he didn’t want to scare the omega either.

“I…I trust you…Pete. But…I don’t…I don’t trust myself. I’m sorry…”

“Trick, I promised you before and I’ll do it again, as many times as you need to hear it. Before your heat comes we’ll set out some boundaries. That way you know for sure what they are. I’ll ignore anything you ask for during heat that goes against those boundaries. I won’t even be in the room if you say so. If it’s alpha’s that you’re worried about being around then you and Joe or Gee or Bren can lock yourselves in a room, away from any alphas and take care of it. I can’t promise that I won’t check in, but any lines you lay out will stand.”

Patrick smiled tightly; he still didn’t understand why Pete was so nice. Despite the months that have passed since they met.

“I know you won’t push anything. I’m not worried about that. Being that vulnerable…that obedient…and none of it even being a conscious choice…its scary…when your body and mind go against what you want just because of stupid instincts. They push for things to happen before it should. I love you Pete, there isn’t anybody else that I would ever want to have as a mate someday…but I’m just not ready to…”

Patrick was getting more frustrated with himself with every word he said. 

First he was scared and angry then sentimental and then anxious…it was an emotional roller coaster that he didn’t ask to ride.

Pete stood very still at first, not sure of what to do or say.

If he stepped forward and cuddled his boyfriend or scented him it might make things worse because it would be a perfect example of what Patrick just got upset about. But if he did nothing they both might regret it.

“I’m sorry. I’m not going to pretend to know how you feel, but I’ll do anything you ask me to if it will make you feel better.”

Patrick huffed lightly, but eventually came to a decision.

His instincts were telling him to put out calming scents, mostly to calm his alpha and get the alpha to scent him back.

But Patrick wanted to go against his instincts.

He wasn’t trying to be calm.

He’s tired of not being in control of how he feels.

Instead of calming his anxious nerves he decided to turn them into excited nerves.

One thing he could think of right now that would do the trick.

He thinks he will like it.

He hopes Pete will like it.

“Kiss me.”

Pete froze, not sure he actually heard his boyfriend correctly.

He stared back at Patrick for some sign of regret or fear, but all he saw was a fiery determination that he found way too sexy to back away from.

As soon as Pete took a hesitant step forward Patrick knew he was a willing accomplice, so he erased the distance left between them and pressed his lips firmly against Pete’s.

The alpha wasn’t going to move to take control, but Patrick grabbed both of his wrists and brought the alpha’s hands up to cup the back of Patrick’s neck.

Pete took this as a sign to use the new angle to his advantage and deepen the kiss, relishing in the feeling of Patrick grabbing at his shirt and trying to pull him closer.

Getting lost in kissing Patrick was bound to be the death of Pete, not that he would complain.😉


	73. Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ♥😉Peterick😉♥

Patrick loved the feeling of having all of Pete’s focus on him.

He loved being able to focus his own attention back on the alpha.

Anything that could take his mind off of everything that was going on.

They had been enjoying their kiss for a few minutes before Pete moved to kiss his jaw and neck.

It made Patrick dizzy, being out of breath and turned on. 

It made him mad that he was so afraid to try sex.

Right now he wanted it, the pressure in his pants was enough to tell him that…but if they actually tried he didn’t want to panic.

Despite what the alpha said, he would feel way to guilty to lead Pete on like that and not follow through.

While Patrick was stuck in his head again Pete had found a particular spot behind his ear that made him moan without realizing until after he heard himself.

He wouldn’t care if they weren’t in the living room of Gerard’s parents’ house. The last thing he wanted was for Donna to walk in and see this.

He was already trying to ignore the embarrassed feeling of getting a boner again…up until this point he had kept his hips back from Pete’s so the alpha wouldn’t notice.

Those thoughts were knocked from his head when Pete nipped at that spot again sending a prickle down his spine.

Patrick buried his face in Pete’s neck and scented him back, smiling when he was rewarded with the alpha’s own moans.

Patrick wasn’t scared yet…he wasn’t panicking yet…for the first time he really did not want to stop this. Despite worrying about panicking during sex, THIS was fantastic.

Maybe they didn’t need to go all the way today…but that didn’t mean that they had to stop just yet.

As juvenile as he thought it sounded, dry humping didn’t sound too bad…neither did a hand job…he let his mind wonder a little further…he wasn’t ready to try giving a blowjob…but the idea wasn’t as scary as actually having sex…

The new realization that they could do other things gave Patrick a new-found drive to keep this going.

When he felt Pete moving his mouth back to his own, he pulled the alpha closer and tried to ignore his embarrassment again as he let his hips push against Pete’s.

He felt himself blush even more when he realized the alpha was hard too.

Pete pushed his hands down to Patrick’s lower back and squeezed him closer.

Last time they did something similar to this he stopped them and asked the omega where he wanted to stop. But this time Patrick was leading all of it.

So instead of stopping now, he decided that he would keep going until either Patrick stopped or Patrick’s scent changed.

He wouldn’t let them get all the way to sex, he was aware enough to know that they were still not ready for that, but Patrick seemed ready for something else, even if it wasn’t all the way.

So, whatever Patrick was thinking, he would play along, at least as long as he thought it was safe.

It wasn’t until Patrick started grinding his hips against Pete’s thigh that he thought maybe he should say something, thankfully Patrick seemed to catch himself and pulled back slightly to look at Pete.

They were both panting, foreheads rested together as Pete’s hands rested on the omega’s back, and Patrick’s was pulling the alpha closer by the front of his shirt.

“…Trick?”

“Can we go back upstairs?”

Pete hesitated, ready to fire a stream of questions at his boyfriend when Patrick interrupted his thoughts again.

“I-I know that I am not ready for sex, but…there’s other ways to…I need—we need to get of—I want us to… Please…I promise…I’ll stop us if it gets too much.”

Pete stared at Patrick a moment longer, “Alright, as long as you’re sure…”

“I am.”

The determination that Pete saw in Patrick’s eyes made him completely cave, nodding, he gave Patrick another peck and waited.

If Patrick wanted this than he would need to lead the way.

When Patrick realized that Pete was waiting for him to make the first move, he grabbed Pete’s hand and shifted back towards the stairs.

He moved slowly, until Pete started following along.

By the time they were back in their room, Patrick’s nerves were starting to get the better of him.

When he was distracted by Pete’s mouth, he didn’t notice his nerves as much.

Patrick took a chance and decided that keeping his mind on more than one thing was the best way to keep himself in control.

He stepped forward and put his arms around Pete’s neck, pulling him forward until they were kissing again.

Pete responded instantly, kissing back and holding him closer.

He wanted to give Patrick anything he wanted, but the idea of accidently triggering him was haunting his thought process.

The first time Patrick started something he put himself in Pete’s lap. It was mostly a way to make himself feel in control.

Last time he didn’t think about it all that much, but if Pete wanted Patrick to be in control to set the pace than maybe he should.

Slowly, he started pushing backwards at Pete’s arms to make him move backwards toward the bed.

Pete on the other hand took it as a sign to stop and immediately pulled back from Patrick, “You okay?”

“I’m great, I just want you to sit down.” Patrick said softly, pushing himself back into Pete’s space again.

The alpha obeyed, backing up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. 

Patrick was standing in front of him while he got situated and then straddled his lap the same way he had on the mountain.

For a moment they were mostly still, just trying to catch their breath.

Pete ran his hands up and down Patrick’s sides and waited for a sign of what to do next.

Patrick was running his fingers through Pete’s hair, trying to figure out how to go about getting what he wanted.

This was the first time since they started kissing that Patrick had hesitated, so Pete figures this is the moment that he should check in and make sure he was alright.

“Patrick?”

“I’m still good. I just don’t know how to do this. I don’t like being in control of someone else.”

“I know. But I’ll do anything you want me to. So, if you tell me what you want to happen, I can lead us there. I’ll still stop, or you can change something any time you want though.”

“I just…I trust you.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’m not good at talking about this kind of thing so…oh boy…um…I’m not ready for sex, but…I figured there’s other ways that we can…that we can both get off without going all the way.” Patrick finished speaking and hid his face in Pete’s neck.

“I agree with you. What did you have in mind?” Pete smirked and used the most innocent tone he could.

“Peeeeetee…”

“Alright, there still a lot of different ways we can do this. Tell me what you’re okay with and what you’re not okay with.”

Patrick thought for a moment, trying to figure out what he would like, but truthfully, he’d still never done anything like this willingly before.

“Um…I don’t like…being held down…or feeling trapped…?”

Pete could almost feel his heart breaking at the fragileness of Patrick’s voice, “Not an issue. Is that why you wanted to sit on my lap?”

Patrick nodded, slightly more comfortable than he was a few minutes ago. “Yeah, but I also like having your arms around me…”

“Okay, but you know that you can get away anytime you need to right?”

“Yes.”

“How do you feel about me touching you? Where is okay and where isn’t?”

Patrick was quiet, there really wasn’t anywhere that he wasn’t comfortable with Pete touching, I mean the alpha has bathed him countless times…

“Just don’t surprise me…I’m not uncomfortable with your touch…” Patrick furrowed his eyebrows as he was thinking, trying to figure out the best way to describe a way that they should do this…

“How far are you comfortable with this going?”

“I…I don’t know…I don’t think I’m ready to…try and give you a blowjob…but the idea doesn’t totally scare me like regular sex does…” Patrick said it mostly to himself, realizing that he was more comfortable than he let himself feel, despite the deep blush he felt covering his body.

“How do you feel about me giving you a blowjob?” Pete figures out of everything they could do; this would put the least amount of pressure on Patrick.

The omega’s eyes widened a bit, “I don’t know. A-are you sure you want to do that?”

“I want to make you feel good. If we try and you don’t feel comfortable, say so and we’ll stop.”

After a moment of hesitation and short circuiting in his brain Patrick nodded, “Okay, but you’ll have to…I’ve never had…I don’t know what to do.”

“I do. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable though, so are you sure you’re really comfortable trying this? It’s okay to say no.”

“I want to try. I REALLY want to try. It’s just…new…”

“Alright, you trust me?”

“Of course.” 

Pete picked up Patrick by the hips slightly and moved him so that he was sitting on the bed next to him before sliding to his knees in front of his boyfriend.

They hadn’t broken eye contact yet; Patrick didn’t know where to look.

He was painfully hard in his skinny jeans, and very aware that Pete was too, but he was too distracted by the alpha staring up at him to do anything.

“You can stop me anytime.” Said Pete as he leaned forward to start undoing Patrick’s jeans, moving slow enough that Patrick could stop him before he actually started.

When Pete got a slight nod, he proceeded in pulling Patrick’s cock out of his jeans and stroking him a few times. 

He glanced up and noticed that Patrick was blushing and biting his lip.

The omega’s scent was mostly excited, only a small portion of it smelling like unsureness, but it wasn’t overwhelming or seemingly phasing Patrick enough to make him want to stop.

When Pete did close his mouth around Patrick’s cock the omega couldn’t stop a small moan slipping out.

Pete hummed and proceeded to go faster, hollowing out his cheeks every time he went down.

Patrick was doing everything he could not to lift his hips up. 

Truthfully, he had never had a blowjob before. 

Pete was his first boyfriend. 

There was no way his last owner would have ever done something like this, Patrick’s pleasure wasn’t something he was ever concerned with.

Patrick was panting heavier now, he let his head fall backwards and bit his lip to stop himself from moaning too loud, not wanting anyone else in the house to hear him.

It was when Pete took him in far enough that his cock hit the back of the alpha’s throat that he jerked forward and placed a hand on top of Pete’s head.

The alpha stopped, leaning back on his heels to look up at Patrick, afraid that he might’ve triggered something.

Patrick pulled his hand back the moment he saw that Pete got worried and started mumbling out apologies for touching the alpha, something that both confused and amused his boyfriend.

Pete continued stroking Patrick, waiting for the omega to meet his eyes before speaking, “Trick, I’m not mad. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You can touch me all you want. You want me to keep going?”

Patrick nodded quickly, then moved to rest his hand on top of Pete’s head again. “Thank you.”

Pete smirked and moved his head down to lick and suck at his boyfriend some more.

He swirled his tongue around the tip of Patrick’s cock, and smirked at the murmurs and whines coming from the omega.

It was way too hot not to get even more turned on.

Pete continued to suck and moan around Patrick’s cock as he moved his other hand down to undo his own pants. 

It didn’t take long to get himself worked up to the point that he wanted to come. But he wouldn’t let himself do that until after Patrick did. He wanted to make sure Patrick was taken care of first.

Reluctantly he let go of himself and refocused all of his attention back on his boyfriend.

Patrick still had a hand resting on top of Pete’s head, he wasn’t grabbing or pulling, mostly because he didn't want to do anything that might make the alpha stop, but he needed to touch some part of him to feel grounded. 

He felt like his head was in the clouds.

Something was happening. He could feel a tightness form inside him.

He logically knew what was happening, but he didn’t know what to do.

Pete seemed to pick up on what was happening though, because he hummed and started sucking faster.

“Pete…I…mmm….I’mmm gonna…..can I….please alpha….”

Something inside Pete got pushed closer to the edge, he pulled off just long enough to say, “Let go baby.” Before he went back to sucking Patrick through his orgasm, swallowing as much as he could.

Only seconds later Pete came over his hand while he continued to lick and suck at Patrick until he was moaning and twitching from overstimulation.

 

When they were both finished Pete leaned back on his heels and smiled up at Patrick as he wiped his hand on his jeans and drug his sleeve across his mouth.

“You okay?” 

“Great, I’ve never…never felt that before…” Patrick was panting, leaned back on his elbows with his eyes lidded.

Pete took a moment to catch his breath before standing up to sit next to his boyfriend on the bed.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

Patrick looked over at his boyfriend, Pete looked so happy and relaxed. 

For a moment everything was perfect, then Patrick realized that he probably wouldn’t be able to return the favor for a while.

He had only ever been forced to do it before, and it was always painful. He always gagged and, on the instances, where he actually threw up he was punished worse than he was on regular days.

Pete seemed to notice his shift in emotion because in an instant the alpha was cupping his face and kissing his forehead, whispering “I love you”s and “You were perfect”s.

“I’m just sorry that I couldn’t do the same for you, must be such a let-down.” Patrick mumbled.

“Oh Trick, I promise, I am not mad or upset. This was as good for me as it was for you.”

Patrick rolled his eyes, “How?”

“Seeing you turned on turned me on.” Pete shrugged.

“I want to be able to do that for you though.” He pouted.

“Someday. For now, don’t push things. Today was amazing. I am so proud of you and I promise that you did not let me down in any way.”

“Alright. If you say so.”

“I do.” Pete leaned forward and kissed Patrick’s temple again.

Patrick didn’t know what to do, he had never done anything like this before, what was he supposed to do now.

“C’mere.” Pete opened his arms and waited for Patrick to roll over against his chest.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” Pete said softly when Patrick stopped moving.

Patrick thought for a moment, what was he thinking about?

Pete mostly.

He’s so happy that he found an alpha that was so easy going and supportive. Nobody had ever been this patient and understanding towards him before.

Despite what Pete says, he feels like the alpha gives way more to him than he can give back, the guilt he feels for it is a bit overwhelming.

“I’m just…I really hope you know how much I appreciate you.”

Pete smiled widely into Patrick’s hair, “I appreciate you too.”

 

“We’re gonna have to stay here for a while, I don’t think I can make eye contact with anybody for at least a few hours.” Patrick huffed.

Pete barked out a laugh and squeezed him tighter, “So innocent, I guess this means I’m corrupting you.”

After seeing Patrick blush more he added, “I don’t think that anybody will know that anything happened.”

“I just…I’m not comfortable even talking about sex. And Gee and Bren know me really REALLY well. They’ll know something happened and I am just not ready to talk about it with anyone other than you…and--and probably Joe. I don’t think I could even look at my brothers or Donna right now.” Patrick rambled, pushing his face into Pete's chest.

“I still don’t think they’ll suspect anything, but I understand. We can stay in here as long as you need.”

“Thanks Pete.”


	74. COAST

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ♥ Soul Punk ♥

When they did finally leave their room, they didn’t see anybody on their way to the front door.

Much to the relief of Patrick.

 

Walking down the street to his old house again proved slightly easier this time, even with being nervous about seeing his brothers.

He and Pete had showered and changed their clothes, but he still felt like he was wearing a sign that said he just got blown by his alpha boyfriend.

He didn’t regret it….at all, in fact it was just the opposite. But it wasn’t something he wanted to reveal to his brothers, now or ever for that matter.

 

When Ben opened the door he could feel his face heating up, despite his best efforts to control his thoughts.

For the first half hour they were visiting with his brothers, Patrick kept his gaze down, avoiding eye contact like it might give him the plague.

Pete smirked when he noticed, knowing why the omega was blushing and finding his shyness absolutely adorable.

Ben and Kevin on the other hand didn’t seem to notice anything. Summing up his crimson skin tone to being a reaction of coming into the house again.

 

“Trick, I’m sorry about yesterday. I shouldn’t have tried to tell you what to do.” Kevin started.

The guilt Patrick saw in Kevin’s face was enough to distract him for a moment, he wasn’t mad at Kevin for getting protective. 

But Kevin had yelled…that wasn’t something he wanted to experience again.

Being yelled at made his instincts tell him to submit again. It freaked him out, he really wished he could ignore it.

Patrick kept his gaze down as he responded, “It’s okay. I know you didn’t say them to be mean. I know you’re nervous about me moving on with…everything…but even if I accidently push myself too far you need to know that I’ll be okay.”

“I just want to protect you.”

“I know. And I love you for it. Really I do.”

“I had the same guilt when we first met.” Pete added, “I was worried about everything and anything around him…I still am actually…but he’s come a long way from where he was. So it’s a bit easier to relax…sometimes.”

“I’ll tell ya the same thing I told Pete, ‘I like having people be protective of me. It’s something new and I’m really thankful for you guys. You don’t have to apologize for being protective. But please don’t yell at me…” Patrick pushed out submissive pheromones again, his instincts not comfortable with him requesting something from an alpha, even if it was his brother.

“I won’t. Or…I’ll try not to. I don’t want to promise you and then loose my temper and break a promise.” Kevin said quietly.

“Thank you.”

 

For the first time since they sat down everyone was seemingly comfortable.

“How is everybody else doing with the move?” Ben broke the silence.

“Brendon is actually in heat right now, so him, Ty and Josh are occupied. Frank and Gee are mostly packed already. I think they’re enjoying getting to visit with Mikey and their parents.”

“When will you guys head back to California?”

“Whenever we’re packed and ready.” Pete responded.

“Soon.” Patrick added quickly.

He didn’t want to give his brothers any false hope of him staying here any longer than he had too.

“Let us know if you want any help packing anything. And anything you don’t want to take can stay in your room. It’ll always be here for you.”

“Thanks. There actually isn’t much that I think I’ll be taking.”

“Did you want to take your keyboard?”

Patrick looked up surprised and very confused, “I thought father got rid of it…I saw him throw it out when I was like ten?”

“Ben went out and got it.” Kevin said fondly, turning to look at his older brother.

Patrick was a bit overwhelmed at this new bit of information. He stared at his oldest brother, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him.

“…How?”

“I hid it in my closet. Thought maybe if we got away from him at some point…you might start music again.” Ben said gently.

Patrick gave in to his emotions and stood up, moving across the room to fall into Ben’s arms, “Thank you.”

 

The omega was sitting in the middle of the floor in Ben’s room watching as his oldest brother dug through his closet to get to the keyboard.

Pete and Kevin were watching from the doorway as Ben lifted the keyboard out of his closet and laid it down in Patrick’s lap. 

 

“Thank you for this Ben. It…it really means a lot to me that you saved it and kept it all these years.”

“I guess it was a way of holding onto a piece of you. After he threw it out and ordered you to stop with the music, you seemed so lost…so…different. I thought that if I could save it then I could save that piece of you. You always seemed happiest when you were working on music.”

“I was.”

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Patrick spent a couple of hours in his room, packing books, comics and movies into some boxes and cleaning up a bit. He gathered up the dirty clothes and towels, the empty glasses and remnants from that first heat all those years ago and threw them out.

Even though he wasn’t going to be staying here anytime soon, if ever for that matter, he didn’t want to leave it in the mess that it had been.

 

Pete helped, doing anything Patrick asked or suggested.

Ben was carrying boxes that were full downstairs.

Kevin had stayed close to Patrick, watching his baby brother and Pete intently, almost observantly. 

Anytime Patrick and Pete moved so did Kevin.

If it weren’t for the oddness of their situation already Patrick might’ve noticed something off about his brother. But instead he just ignored Kevin’s looks and behavior in favor of focusing on his task at hand.

 

Sorting through everything was easier than he thought it would be.

 

He wasn’t going to take any of his clothes. None of them fit anyway.

“Can we just donate these or something? I’m never gonna wear them but it seems like a waste to let them sit in here for the rest of eternity.”

“We could drop them off at an OSR shelter. They take donations for people all the time.” Pete suggested.

“Good. Is there OSR in Chicago?”

“Yeah. It’s downtown, near the park.”

“I’m kind of scared to go to one.”

Truthfully Patrick never wanted to see one firsthand. The idea scared him. Despite knowing that they were meant to help omegas, he couldn’t ignore the fear he had about them.

“We can drop them off for you.” Ben offered.

“That’d be great, thanks.”

 

They were leaving earlier than they had yesterday, instead of walking back to the Way house they were driving back over in Ben’s car. It made transporting the boxes and keyboard easier than walking.

 

Ben and Pete were loading the boxes and keyboard into Frank’s U-Haul when Kevin pulled Patrick aside.

“Everything alright?” Patrick asked when Kevin didn’t say anything.

They were still in view of Pete and Ben, but far enough that they wouldn’t overhear their conversation.

“I just…now I know that you love Pete and you’ve said how you’re happy with him and you said you’re going at your pace but—”

“Kevin, I swear if this is another thing where you’re gonna tear into my relationship with Pete than I am going to kick your ass or I’m gonna get Pete and Ben to kick your ass.” Patrick got defensive.

“I’m not. Pete SEEMS like a great guy, I’m happy that you found someone that you trust.”

“But…..?”

“I just want to know if you’re really…happy. As one of your big brothers it is my right to be protective. And you said earlier that you’re okay with protective as long as it’s within reason.”

“I am happy. What is this about?”

“Is Pete strict?”

“What?”

“I just…what are his rules? I just want to make sure that you’re not being controlled too harshly. I mean what does he do if you break a rule? After everything that happened, I just don’t want you to lose any of your freedom again.”

Patrick was more than surprised now. “What makes you think that he’s controlling?”

“Well for one thing he hasn’t let you out of his sight once. Is it some kind of rule or something that he makes you stay close to him?”

“No. It isn’t a rule. I told him to stay close to me. Not that I would’ve had to. He’s being protective in a way that I want.”

“Alright.” Kevin said after a moment of noticing his brother’s annoyance. “Alright, I’m sorry. I just had to ask. So, what rules does Pete have for you then?”

Patrick stared at his brother, Kevin was weird, but being around Pete seemed to bring out an even weirder version of his personality.

For a long moment Patrick didn’t know what to say. 

Rules.

Pete hadn’t mentioned rules.

Not once.

Truthfully, he didn’t believe Pete even had rules.

It didn’t seem like Andy had any for Joe, and Pete would probably have a similar stance on them to Andy.

 

“Pete, he doesn’t have rules for me.”

“All alphas have rules for their omegas.” Kevin argued lightly.

“Well he hasn’t ever mentioned them to me if he does.”

“Haven’t you asked him?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because it isn’t something that has come up.” Patrick’s aggravation was clear in his voice now, as his tone and volume increased.

 

Pete and Ben walked up to them when they finished loading the trailer.

“Well, that’s settled.”

“Thanks for the help.”

 

Ben and Pete felt the tension when they got closer.

“What happened?” Ben asked exasperatedly.

“Just a…disagreement.” Kevin said softly.

“Trick? You good.” Pete asked gently.

Patrick shrugged and stepped next to Pete, pushing himself against the alpha’s side until an arm was wrapped around him.

 

Ben sighed, “Alright, well, you and I are gonna talk about this.” He pointed at Kevin, “For now, get in the car, were gonna take that stuff to the shelter.”

Kevin nodded and did as he was told, glancing back at Patrick a few times.

 

Pete and Patrick watched them drive away before the alpha looked down at Patrick and waited for an explanation.

Patrick looked back for a brief moment, then pulled on Pete’s arm, “C’mon.”

The omega led them through the house to the back porch, pushing lightly at Pete to sit down before climbing into his lap.

 

Pete rubbed his hand up and down Patrick’s back, “I take it Kevin said something that got under your skin?”

“Do you have rules that you want me to obey?” Patrick asked quickly.

Pete was silent and still for a long time. So long that Patrick lifted his head to look at Pete’s face.

 

“Rules?”

“Kevin asked me what rules you have for me. He thought that you made a rule that I had to stay close to you.”

“Well, what did you say?”

“First I said that you don’t have any for me and then that you never told me any rules.”

“Well, you’re right. I don’t necessarily have any.”

“Necessarily?”

“Well, I don’t have any for you. There are a few that me and Andy came up with years ago for life in general that we follow. I mean they’re rules but not…not the type of rules that I think Kevin is thinking about.”

“What are they?”

“Rule number one is that everybody has a choice. Within reason, we never force anything on anyone. Rule number two, always tell the truth. Rule number three, respect and trust are earned not given.”

“I like those rules.”

Pete smiled, “When me and Andy formed a pack, we made a list of everything that we wanted for each other, and future pack members. Everything we said fell into one of those categories.”

“You never mentioned them before.”

“Well, it hadn’t really come up. They aren’t exactly rules that you could break on accident, even without knowing them. I’m not even sure we’ve told Joe.”

“Kevin was so sure that you would’ve had rules and…and punishments for me.” Patrick flinched at his own words.

“It isn’t uncommon. Most alphas, even some of the nicer ones, have rules for their omegas. I don’t think I could punish you for anything though. And I’m not really the type to control someone with those types of rules.”

“I’m glad. I think I’d be too scared of breaking them to do anything.”

Pete squeezed him and kissed his shoulder, rubbing circles with his thumb over Patrick’s hip.

For a brief moment everything was calm. Then something caught Patrick’s eye, causing a smile to form on his face.

“I wanna show you something.” Patrick stood up and pulled Pete behind him.

They crossed the back yard and started into the woods.

“Trick?”

“Just a little further.”

They had only been walking a few minutes when Patrick stopped and looked up.

“Here.” He pointed up, “This is our tree house.”

Pete smiled and watched as Patrick started climbing up the limbs to the hatch.

When Patrick was in he looked down at Pete, “Come on.”

Pete obeyed, climbing quickly up the tree and setting next to Patrick on the floor.

 

The walls were covered in scraps of wallpaper, drawings, comics and posters. There were old pillows and blankets scattered around the floor.

It was simple, but it felt homey, comfortable.

Patrick hadn’t stopped smiling yet.

“We used to spend every day here. Gerard would read us his latest comic ideas; Brendon would try to beat his record for how much candy he could fit in his mouth. I usually sang, at the request of Bren and Gee. Sometimes they would join in.”

“Sing for me.”

Patrick smirked, “What would you like to hear?”

“Anything.”

Patrick thought for a moment, then cleared his throat and started:

 

“It’s gonna get better, it’s gonna work out

Give it a minute, it’s gonna turn around

‘Cause it’s gonna get better, better

It’s gonna get better, better

So just coast with me…”

 

When he finished Pete clapped and whistled, making Patrick blush and look down at his lap.

“I love it. Did you write it?”

“Yeah. It’s called Coast. My way of convincing myself that things were gonna get better. Gee always liked that one.”

“It’s amazing.”

“You’re biased.” Patrick smirked as he shook his head.

“You’re amazing. And even if it takes me the rest of our lives, I am going to convince you of that someday.”

“Good luck.”

“Challenge accepted.”


	75. The Way Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly about Mikey's relationship with the guys. I just felt like he needed a bit of attention so I figured why not?  
> *  
> *  
> *  
> Next chapter will be posted tomorrow.

Its been a few hours since Pete and Patrick got back from the treehouse. 

Patrick was laying on his bed talking to Joe. Telling him everything that happened since the last time they spoke because he wanted to make sure that he was processing.

He never willingly did anything sexual before today.

The idea of it was scary but he wasn’t scared of what he and Pete did.

He was actually fine with it.

Happy that he and Pete were able to do something more without panicking.

He just couldn’t understand why he didn’t panic.

If anything should’ve made him panic that was it.

Why didn’t he panic?

Joe seemed to think it was because Patrick finally trusted himself to trust Pete.

Sure he trusted Pete before, but now it was like all of him trusted Pete, instead of just the part of him that fell in love with the alpha.

It was all a bit confusing to him. He wished he could see Joe in person, talk things out more and maybe get things more figured out.

They hadn’t set a day to go back to LA, but Patrick wanted, hoped it would be soon.

“I miss you guys.” He mumbled, pouting into the phone.

“We miss you guys too. Don’t worry, you’ll be home soon.”

“Yeah I know.”

“Have you talked about this with Gee or Bren?”

“Bren is in heat since before it happened. No I haven’t talked to Gee.”

“Why?”

“I’ve never…never talked about sex with anyone other than you and Pete.”

“He’s not exactly a virgin ya know. He might be able to help you figure things out too.”

“I know you’re right. I just, talking about it makes me feel embarrassed.”

“I know. But everybody in that house has had sex.”

Patrick cringed, “Thanks for that image.”

“I just mean that nobody is gonna judge you for talking about it if you wanted to talk to one of them.”

“I guess.”

“So, how’s Petey doing?” Joe sensed the need to change the topic before Patrick withdrew into himself.

Looking over at the alpha Patrick smiled a bit, Pete was flipping through a magazine, no doubt one of Donna’s, and blasting music through a pair of headphones he put on to “give Patrick some privacy”.

“He’s good. Like he always is, perfectly understanding and supportive.” Patrick’s voice dropped a bit at the end.

Joe heard the change in tone and immediately got defensive, “Patrick, don’t even think about thinking that you don’t deserve it.”

“I—”

“I mean it. He loves you and you love him. You do deserve love and each other.”

“But—”

“Patrick…”

“Fine.”

“Say it.”

“Joooee…”

“Now.”

“I deserve him, and he deserves me, and we love each other.”

“And…”

“And I deserve love…” Patrick murmured it through a flinch.

Joe smiled to himself and hummed into the phone. “You’ll thank me for this one day.”

Patrick could hear the happiness in Joe’s voice, “I love you.”

“I love you too, give Pete a hug for me, I’ve gotta get back to work.”

“I will, be careful.”

With that, the call ended and Patrick looked back over at Pete.

The alpha was staring down at the magazine with a confused look on his face.

He looked adorable if Patrick did say so himself.

Patrick sat up slowly and leaned sideways, throwing one arm around Pete’s front and using the other to reach up and pull the headphones off.

Pete’s expression immediately changed to one with a smile, “JoeTroh okay?”

“He said to give you a hug.”

Pete smirked and tossed the magazine and headphone to the floor in favor of pulling Patrick closer and burying his nose in the omega’s neck.

“When are we going back to LA?”

Pete pulled back slightly to look more directly at him, “Whenever you want. Frank and Gee are all packed up.”

“I feel bad that they’re waiting on me.”

“Don’t. I don’t think either of them mind. And they certainly don’t blame you. They were coming back here whether you and me came anyway.”

“I packed everything I want to take with me. I just want to visit tomorrow. Then can we leave the next day?”

“Fine with me. We just need to check in with them.”

“Good.”

Truthfully Patrick didn’t know why he was so happy at the thought of leaving. 

After all those years of wanting to come back here, now after only a few days he was ready to escape.

His mother still didn’t know he was back in Chicago.

He didn’t know if he wanted her to know.

The idea of leaving without saying goodbye to Brendon bothered him a bit. But he doesn’t know if Josh and Tyler would let him down there anyway.

“Trick?”

Patrick had been wrapped up in his head again, if it weren’t for his scent being calm Pete might’ve thought he was having another panic attack.

“Can we ask them now?”

“Of course.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When they got downstairs, they found Gerard and Mikey in a wrestling match on the floor of the living room, and Frank watching from a spot on the couch.

Patrick turned to Pete, “You talk.”

The alpha nodded and directed them to sit next to Frank.

Patrick ignored their conversation in favor of watching his friends toss around on the floor.

 

He had been briefly wondering if Mikey would be coming back to visit them in LA. 

The young alpha had been following his big brother around since they got here.

Patrick thought it was sort of funny, the way Gerard and Mikey’s statuses didn’t really reflect them.

It was like they should’ve been switched. Gerard was dominant and behaved more like and alpha while Mikey was more like an omega. 

Mikey, at least with Gerard, was still as submissive as he was when they were all kids. He obeyed everything Gerard said or asked.

It wasn’t until he was thinking about them that he realized he himself wasn’t as submissive to Mikey as he was with other alphas.

Mikey had always been a little brother to him.

Not the pesky kind.

Mikey and Gerard got along like friends as much as they did as brothers. It didn’t matter that they had a three year age gap.

He was the only other person they let into their treehouse when they were younger. Being Gerard’s brother gave him a sort of immunity among them. 

Not that they would’ve turned him away.

Brendon and Patrick always like the idea of having a little brother. 

Mikey was a great fit for that.

 

Even now, as they wrestle and try to pin one another down, Gerard was winning easily.

Despite being an omega, he had more muscle than Mikey. Not that the alpha wasn’t strong, and he was taller. But he was lankier and thinner rather than muscly.

They were both laughing, having the same fun as they did when they were younger.

When they were kids, Gerard would let Mikey win.

He would put up a good competition for a while, then when he felt Mikey losing interest or giving in he would drop he fight enough for the younger to take control and pin him down.

Whether Mikey ever knew this or not was a mystery.

 

Gerard slipped Mikey in a headlock and ruffled his hair, earning a laugh from Patrick. That laugh is what made the two on the floor finally notice that Frank wasn’t the only one in the room anymore.

Gerard looked over and smiled, “Hey Trick, care to join us or are you just here for the show?”

“Actually, I just wanted to see if Mikey can still beat you.”

“Of course, I am the undefeated champion!” Mikey hollered, though his head was still trapped under his brother’s arm.

 

Their antics went on for a few more minutes. 

Mikey had Gerard mostly pinned now. He was sitting on the omega’s chest trying to pin his arms down. Patrick knew the moment that Gerard had decided to let him win again because the omega was focused more on tickling and jabbing at the alpha’s sides rather than holding him down.

Everything was perfectly fine until their father came into the room and glared at the two of them. Specifically, Mikey.

A move that completely shocked Patrick.

Donald never got mad at his kids. 

Ever. 

He doesn’t even think he’s seen him get mad at anything before.

And right now, he couldn’t find any reason for the man to be upset.

“Michael, I thought we talked about this.” There was a slight alpha thrum in his voice. It made Pete put an arm across Patrick’s front and Frank leaned forward in his seat.

“Dad he’s fine. He isn’t hurting me.” Gerard cut in. Glaring defiantly up at his father from his place on the floor.

“Gerard, it’s dangerous. You’re not kids anymore. He’s an alpha, and even though you’re having fun his instincts could take over and—”

“I would never hurt him.” Mikey said softly.

“Not on purpose.” Donald sighed. “But accidents happen all the time. Once you became an alpha, things changed.”

“Donald, I respect you trying to protect him, but I wouldn’t be letting it happen if it were dangerous. They’re just playing.” Frank tried.

“You of all people shouldn’t be letting it happen in the first place." He said to Frank before turning to look down at Gerard again, "I’m just trying to protect you from getting hurt.”

“I told you before, I don’t need you to protect me from him.”

“Gerard.” Donald said exasperatedly.

Patrick noticed that Donald only used an alpha voice on Mikey, not even once on Gerard.

“Michael, when your brother goes back to California you and I are going to have a very long talk about this. Now get off him.”

Mikey almost gave in to his father’s slight alpha voice, if it weren’t for Gerard grabbing his wrist and interrupting his thoughts he probably would’ve.

“Get off him now.” The alpha thrum got stronger.

Gerard rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his little brother still on his chest. “Mikey, come back to LA with us. Join our pack.”

Donald sighed again, ready to argue when Gerard cut him off by reaching up and grabbing his brother’s chin to make him look down at him, “Mikey…”

The young alpha nodded down at his big brother and said, “Okay.”

Gerard let out a sigh of relief and tapped on his brother’s leg, “Let me up.”

Mikey obeyed, moving to sit on the other side of Patrick as Gerard moved to stand in front of his father and cross his arms.

Neither one said anything, they just stared each other down. 

Gerard knew that his father wouldn’t talk to him the way he talked to Mikey. 

He never had.

And he used this to his advantage.

Patrick wondered how Gerard had the strength to do it. His own instincts would’ve had him submitting on his knees by now.

Gerard looked over at where the four of them were sitting and asked, “When do we leave?”

“Day after tomorrow.” Pete answered easily.

Gerard nodded and turned back to his father, shaking his head slightly.

Donald sighed again, this time turning and walking out of the room.

 

“Now what?” Frank asked.

Gerard turned to Mikey again, “Pack your shit.”

 

The five of them spent the next few hours putting Mikey’s things into the U-Haul.

Patrick noticed that as long as Mikey was moving and busy, he seemed calm and happy. But anytime he stopped it was like he was thinking too much.

Patrick knew all too well what that felt like.

“You okay?”

Mikey looked up at him, seemingly startled out of his thoughts, “Uh, yeah. Just a bit stressed.”

“Has your dad really been like that since you presented?” 

“Yeah. He uh, I think dad thought that after Gee presented as an omega I would too. I thought that myself for a while. When I didn’t, I guess he saw me as a threat. He doesn’t trust hardly anyone to be close to Gee. He thinks I might lose control of my “strength” and accidently hurt him. Gee should’ve been the alpha though.” 

“What did your mom say?”

“Mom treats us like she always had. She still sees us as five-year-olds but, alpha or omega doesn’t seem to be a factor.”

“I think you’re a great alpha.” Patrick said honestly. Hoping to make his friend feel better. 

He really didn’t feel like he was talking to an alpha. 

At least not an intimidating one.

“Thanks Patrick.” Mikey wrapped his arms around Patrick’s middle and sighed when the omega started rubbing soothing circles on his back.

It was a bit awkward with how tall Mikey was, but he bent down so that Patrick’s arms could go over him.

It really felt like he was hugging a little brother. 

Patrick felt protective of him.

When Mikey pulled back he said, “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t do that. Pete might murder me if I get my scent all over you.”

“He won’t mind. I think he trusts you more than Ben or Kevin.”

“They haven’t settled down yet huh?”

Patrick shook his head, “Ben is handling it best. Kevin is…temperamental.”

Mikey nodded, before going full little brother and asking with a suggestive smirk, “So how are things with Pete?”

Patrick almost blushed, then he remembered that Pete and Mikey had actually spent their ruts together in the past.

Mikey seemed to realize what Patrick was thinking because he himself got red in the face.

“Oh uh…Patrick, I—when me and Pete uh…it wasn’t anything romantic or…ya know. It was just that neither of us wanted to spend our ruts alone. We aren’t…I mean…it wasn’t anything more than that..other than friendship I swear—”

“Mikey-Mikey its okay. Really. I’m not…bothered by it.” Patrick said quickly when he noticed Mikey getting more flustered. “And, to answer your question, we’re uh...taking things slow.”

Mikey smiled, calmed with the knowledge that Patrick wasn’t upset with him. “Pete, he’s a good guy.”

“I know.” Patrick replied, looking over at Pete. 

The alpha was standing behind the U-Haul arguing with Frank about the best way to fit everything.

 

After a moment of comfortable silence Gerard walked over to them, “I’m glad you’re joining our pack.”

“So am I. I’ve always wanted to be in a pack with my big brothers.” Mikey said fondly.

“We need to call Andy. Let him know that were coming back with another body.”

“Do you think he’ll mind?”

“So long as everyone gets along, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.” said Patrick. From his experience with Andy, and what Pete told him about the rules he and Andy set years ago, their future head alpha certainly didn’t seem like the bossy dictator type. 

 

Gerard walked over to Frank and reached into the alphas back pocket, pulling out his phone.

Frank glanced briefly at the omega before turning back to continue his ‘argument’ with Pete.

 

Gerard walked back over to them and smiled as he spoke into the phone, “Hi Andy.”

“Gee? Everything okay?” Andy was surprised that Gerard was the one calling.

“I wanna talk to you about Mikey.”

“Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. I want him to join us.”

“Okay. Does HE want to join us?”

“Hold on.” Gerard looked over at his brother, who was staring patiently back at him.

“Mikey, DO you want to? It’s okay if you don’t. I won’t be mad.”

The blonde alpha smiled widely at him and nodded quickly. 

Gerard smiled back and handed over the phone.

“Uhh, Andy?” Mikey said softly. His nerves getting the better of him.

“Mikey, if you want this and the rest of the guys don’t have any real problem then I’m happy to have you join our pack.”

“Thanks Andy. And I do. I don’t think anybody is against it, they all seemed fine with the idea. I don’t think Bren or Josh and Ty will have a problem with it.”

“Then welcome to the family.”


	76. We Prepare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I needed a chapter to set up the next chapters. So this is kind of a filler type chapter but also has some important details for the rest of the story. So idk.
> 
>  
> 
> By the way, i really didn't think that anybody would read the first chapter of this, let alone this far. So thank you very much. :)

“Do you think mom will be okay with this?” Mikey looked worriedly at his brother.

“You’re seventeen and you’re an alpha. They've already let you move to New York with me. Neither of them can actually stop you from coming now.”

“I guess.”

“Everything will work out, trust me.”

“Will you tell mom?”

“Mikey…”

“Please.”

Gerard huffed, but he nodded anyway and rolled his eyes.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dinner wasn’t as awkward as Patrick was expecting.

Gerard was the one to tell their mother about Mikey coming along to LA.

Donald sighed a lot, but Donna was beyond pleased that her boys were all going to be in a pack together.

 

“All four of my babies together! Gerard you make sure to look out for your baby brother.”

“Yes mama.” Gerard rolled his eyes. 

“I am seventeen ya know.” Mikey flushed and looked down at his plate.

“That your way of saying you don’t need me?” Gerard asked sarcastically, trying to tease his brother into smiling.

“I’ve always needed you and I always will need you.” Mikey said quietly, only tilting his head enough to shoot his brother a genuine smile before looking down at his plate again.

 

“So, tomorrow is the last day in Illinois, anything specific you want to do?” Pete asked looking at his boyfriend.

Patrick shrugged.

He couldn’t really think of anything specific.

Not that there was much of anything to really do anyway.

“Just say goodbye to my brothers. But, mostly I just want to get out of here.” He replied. “No offense meant to you of course.” He added quickly while looking at Donna.

“None taken sweetheart.” She waved at him with a sincere smile.

“Did you want to talk to your mother or not?”

Patrick winced.

Last time it hadn’t gone well.

At all.

She wasn’t even trying to see his side.

He wasn’t about to go through that again.

Not when everything had been so much better lately.

He shook his head, “I’d rather not.”

“Okay.”

Patrick was quiet for a few minutes. 

He did want to see more of the town he used to call home.

But he didn’t want to see anybody.

That could just lead to trouble.

But if they stayed in the car…

“Actually, can we just drive around tomorrow?” Patrick looked hopefully at Pete.

“Of course. Anywhere in particular?”

“Just around. I want to see some places, but…I don’t think that I want to get out of the car.”

“Anything you want to do is fine with me. We have the rental for another two days before it needs to be back.”

“We can drop that off at the rental place for you, that way don’t have to deal with it before you go.” Donna offered.

“Thanks, that’d be great.”

 

 

“How long will it take to get to LA?”

“It’s about 2,000 miles. So, about a day and a half including stops. And that’s if we go straight through.”

“If?”

“It’s a long time in the truck. Would you guys really be alright with that?”

“Absolutely. Anything to get us there sooner.”

“Are you sure that you guys can drive that long without resting?”

“Pete and I already discussed it. We’ll take turns. He’ll drive during the day; I’ll take the night.” Frank supplied.

 

“We’ll need to stock up on snacks for the drive.”

“I’ll pack you some sandwiches. You boys are not going to just eat junk.”

Gerard was ready to argue with his mom when Frank elbowed him, “Be grateful.”

“Alright, thank you…I still want junk though.”

Frank chuckled and shook his head, “We need to find something to entertain you in the truck.”

“I can think of something…” Gerard wiggled his eyebrows.

“Eww. No. No. Absolutely not. No sex stuff near me.” Mikey looked pointedly at his brother.

“Aww c’mon. If Patrick and Pete made out for a bit would you still say that?”

Mikey looked helplessly at Patrick, who laughed lightly, “You don’t need to worry about us. We’re not really into voyeurism.”

“Speak for yourself.” Pete mumbled, pushing his face into Patrick’s neck and licking his scent gland.

Patrick just huffed and used his shoulder to shove his boyfriend off, “Peeete.”

The alpha laughed at his future mate’s reaction and smiled widely at him.

Patrick took one look at his boyfriend’s goofy grin and leaned back against his chest, “I love you, ya dork.”

“Ah, but I am your dork.”

 

“Ugh…I’m gonna need a blindfold…and earplugs.” Mikey whined, as he drug his hands over his face.

 

 

 

The next morning…

 

Pete woke up before Patrick.

The omega had his arms pulled up against his chest and he was holding onto the front of Pete’s shirt.

From the placement of Patrick’s head, he couldn’t see his face or reach his neck to scent him, so he settled for burying his nose in the omega’s hair.

He inhaled deeply, relishing in the knowledge that this was HIS omega.

He smelled sweet.

Kind of like strawberry wine, but soft.

Not exactly fruity or citrusy.

More like the subtleness of honey.

 

Patrick whined in his sleep.

Pete pressed his nose further into his head.

If it was a nightmare that made him whine, then he wanted to comfort him without waking him up.

He just hoped that scenting his head like this would be enough to get through to him.

It was while he was doing this that he noticed something off.

Something deep within Patrick that was definitely not there before.

For a brief moment Pete thought that maybe whatever he was smelling was just in the air but he hadn’t taken his nose off of the omega since he woke up.

It was definitely a good smell. Something very sweet and savory.

 

It was almost intoxicating.

Pete found himself pushing his face harder against Patrick’s head and pulling him closer.

 

That was how Patrick woke up.

At first nothing seemed off.

Being pressed against Pete was nothing new, even in their sleep.

But when he tried to move his head to look up at said alpha, he realized that his head was being held in place by that of his boyfriend’s.

“Uh…Pete?”

No answer.

“Petey? You okay?”

No answer.

Patrick tapped against Pete’s chest, “Pete.”

Still no answer.

 

Pete didn’t hear him.

It was like he couldn’t get enough of whatever the new smell was.

He needed to smell it.

 

“Pete!” he said louder.

When he still didn’t get an answer, Patrick started squirming and pushing at the alpha’s chest again.

 

The omega’s fidgeting made Pete tighten his arms for a second before the fear he smelled emitting from the omega made him come to his senses.

He pulled back quickly.

“Shit! Sorry, sorry. M’sorry Trick. I don’t know what happened.”

 

Patrick pulled back slowly and looked up and Pete, freezing when he saw how blown out his pupils were.

“Pete…”

 

The confusion and slight panic he heard in the omega’s voice made him realize that something more than the aggressive sniffing was happening.

“Patrick?”

“Your eyes are…they’re…big. Different. What happened?”

Pete took a moment to process this.

 

Then realization of something came over him and he felt his heart rate speed up.

“Trick, um. You trust me, right?”

“Of course.” Patrick responded confused.

“Okay, I’m gonna…I’m gonna sniff your head again. I just need to see if what I think happened is what is actually happening.”

“Pete?”

“Trust me.”

When he got a nod from the omega, he nudged Patrick’s head down slightly and pressed his face into the omega’s hair again.

Another couple of deep breathes and the delectable scent was back.

 

 

Pete tried to control himself.

He really did.

 

But after only a few seconds he was pressing his face further and further against his boyfriend’s head and neck.

 

This time Patrick stayed still. 

Trying not to panic.

He trusts Pete.

But this is a bit much.

Yet…he found himself settling in when he realized that his instincts were stirring inside him. Wanting to submit and please the alpha nosing at him.

Seconds turned to minutes.

Patrick willed himself to relax as much as he could.

‘I trust Pete. I trust Pete.’

He was repeating it over and over again in his head.

Eventually Patrick’s instincts got the better of him.

He pushed out submissive pheromones and tilted his head as much as he could with how Pete was holding onto him.

He arched his back so his front was as close to the alpha as possible.

 

Then he felt it, something clicked with his inner omega and all he could think about was submitting.

 

“…A-Alpha…” Patrick panted slightly.

 

That’s what made Pete freeze.

Patrick hadn’t called him ‘alpha’ since those first few days in the hospital after they met.

When he pulled back to look at Patrick, he came to the conclusion that what he had been suspecting was true.

 

Patrick’s heat was coming.

It was still far enough away that he knew they wouldn’t need to worry about it hitting before they got back to LA. 

But this meant that they needed to have some really long and intense conversations about what the omega wanted to happen.

“Trick.” Pete spoke gently, trying to ease his boyfriend out of the subspace he dropped into.

“C’mon Trick, come back to me.”

 

A few long and agonizing minutes later Patrick finally looked up and met his eyes.

“Patrick. When you start feeling more like yourself, we need to talk about some things.”

“P-Pete. What was that?”

“I’ll tell you when you wake up a bit more.” Pete gently stroked his face, using his thumb to rub over Patrick’s cheek.

Patrick was desperate to know what triggered Pete’s sniffing and why it triggered his omega instincts to submit like that, but he couldn’t focus enough to ask again yet.

 

It was almost twenty minutes before Patrick was back to himself.

He didn’t understand what happened.

 

“Pete?” Patrick asked. Hoping it was enough to get a full explanation out of his boyfriend.

The alpha took a deep breath, sitting up and sliding back against the headboard.

Patrick followed suit and mimicked his movements, sitting so his shoulder was against Pete’s.

“Trick, before you woke up I was scenting you a bit. I smelled something…off. I wasn’t positive until the second time, but now I know for sure that I’m right.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows in silent question.

“Your…your heat is coming.” Pete said softly. He was afraid of scaring him.

Patrick wasn’t exactly comfortable with the idea of having a heat.

Not that he should feel one way or the other, but his past isn’t exactly a good way to measure.

The omega hadn’t flinched.

He hadn’t blinked.

If Pete couldn’t see his chest moving, he would’ve thought he was holding his breath.

 

“What do we do?” Patrick was shaking slightly.

Pete put an arm around him and pulled him closer to kiss his temple. 

The scent on his boyfriend wasn’t affecting him as much now.

His instinct to protect was stronger that his instinct to mate.

He mentally thanked his OSR training and Andy for that.

“We prepare.”


	77. Before it Gets Better the Darkness Gets Bigger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the fire breathe me back to life.

“We prepare.”

“How?”

“We need to talk about how you want this to happen.”

“Will we be able to get back to LA before I get all…ya know…”

“From the strength of your scent it won’t be here for another five or six days.”

Patrick didn’t know how to react. 

All he knew was that he wanted this to end already.

The last thing he felt ready for was a heat.

It had been six years since his last REAL heat.

That meant that this one was probably gonna be worse than a normal one.

 

“Trick?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you still want to spend it in the house or somewhere else?”

Patrick thought for a moment, remembering the options that Pete had told him the last time they talked about it.

“The house.”

“Alright. Do you want me with you or—”

“I want you.” Patrick said quickly. His eyes wide and fearful.

The last thing he wanted was to be away from Pete.

“Okay. Okay. How much are you comfortable with happening?”

“I don’t…what we did yesterday was good.”

Pete smiled gently, “Alright. That might help take away some of your discomfort. But just so you know, we’re gonna talk about this a lot over the next few days. And you can change your mind anytime.”

“What if I ask for something because of my heat that I’m not ready for?” Patrick had asked this, multiple times, but the answer always made him feel slightly more at ease.

“That’s why were doing this. If you say something is off limits and then ask for it while you’re in heat I won’t do it. I’ll tell you no. If you say yes to something now and say no during your heat, I’ll also say no. Just like if your heat hits and you decide you only want the other omegas near you. I’ll stay out and Joe and Gerard can help you.”

“Okay. I don’t think that will happen. I don’t want to be away from you though.”

“Trick, during your first heat…did you use anything to help with the discomfort?”

Patrick looked up, confused at first. Then he realized what Pete meant.

“My mother gave me a heat kit, but I didn’t use it.”

“Why?”

“It was embarrassing enough having my mother in the room. The last thing I wanted was to let her see anything…like that…”

“Do you want to use them this time?”

Patrick blushed, looking down at his hands.

He wasn’t totally against the idea.

Using plugs and dildos was common among omegas during their heats.

But he never did anything like that before.

And the thought of doing it for the first time in front of Pete was making him feel exposed already.

Logically he knew he shouldn’t feel that way.

Pete would never judge him.

 

He didn’t even know how to use them.

I mean he knew the basic idea, but actually doing it in a way that feels good and takes away the pain of being in heat? That was something he wasn’t familiar with.

And how would he use them without simply causing himself more pain?

Pete probably knew more about how to use them on an omega than Patrick.

“I don’t know…I mean I think I do but I want you to…I don’t think I can use them by myself.” Patrick’s voice was quiet and timid, he wasn’t even looking at the alpha anymore, instead staring down at his lap.

“Trick, look at me.”

Patrick obeyed after a moment, looking at Pete as he grabbed the alpha’s wrist.

“Don’t be embarrassed about any of this. Even though it sucks, heat is natural.”

Patrick nodded, he still felt slightly embarrassed.

“I just…I don’t know if I can—I can use them without…like panicking. I mean sex scares me. And even though we’d be using toys its still something similar.” Patrick furrowed his eyebrows and looked down again, unsure of how clearly he was explaining himself.

It didn’t sound like it made sense in his head, but he didn’t know how to explain it.

Pete’s heart flipped at the use of the word “we”.

“Do you wanna try using them before your heat? Just to get used to them? It might take away some of the fear.”

Patrick’s eyes widened a bit, did he?

If he did, he might panic.

If he didn’t, he might accidentally hurt himself or do something during his heat that he’ll regret later.

The lesser of two evils was to try them out now.

But the thought of doing that in front of Pete or even Pete himself doing it made his face feel a little hot and doing in alone would be too unsure.

He needed Pete to make sure that if he did panic, he wasn’t alone.

 

“You don’t have to baby. It was only a suggestion.” Pete spoke softly when he saw how hesitant the omega was.

Truthfully Pete wasn’t as sure of this plan as he wanted to be.

But Patrick’s heat was closer than they had been expecting.

The last thing he wanted was for his future mate to be in more pain than necessary.

“I just, I—what if I panic?”

“I’ll stop everything.” Pete said firmly, voice confident and steady.

 

Patrick got quiet again, internally contemplating everything he knew about heats to try and figure out if he really wanted to do this.

Something Joe said to him when they first talked about sex rang in his mind: “Either Andy will do it or sometimes I will stretch myself so that when we have sex it’s not as tight and it hurts less.”

If pain is why he was so unsure, and Joe said there was ways to avoid the pain so maybe everything would be okay if he was prepared himself.

He knew Pete wouldn’t hurt him. If he wanted to, he could’ve done it already.

“I do want to try them before my heat…”

Pete raised his eyebrow, sensing there was something else the omega wanted to say.

“A while ago, Joe was telling me how to make sure sex doesn’t hurt. He told me about “precautions” to do so that it isn’t as painful.” he used Joe’s word for it, looking at Pete for a sign of understanding.

The alpha had nodded slowly, mentally reminding himself to thank Joe when they got back.

“I don’t know how to…I want you to do it.”

“Are you sure?” Pete asked as calmly as he could.

This was a big deal. 

Something he hadn’t expected Patrick to ask. 

Being shown that kind of trust was making pride bubble up inside him.

“Would you?”

“Of course. I just want to make sure this is really what you want.”

“I trust you.”

“Anytime you want to try anything, just let me know.”

“Tonight?”

“You sure? Don’t push yourself too much. I’d rather wait than scare you.”

“I’m sure. But let’s just start slow…without the toys.”

“Okay. We’ve still got all day, and you can always change your mind.”

 

 

Once they were outside Patrick let Pete lead him to the car, blushing as the alpha opened his door for him and jogged around the front to get in.

“Just tell me when to turn.” Pete reached over and patted his thigh, before pulling onto the road.

 

The drive was mostly quiet, Patrick asked Pete a few things about heats.

Like how Pete had helped other omegas at the hospital, and when he would start to feel it himself.

It seemed strange when he thought about it.

An omega asking an alpha about omega’s biology, but it made him feel safer going into this knowing that Pete was experienced in the subject.

The alpha answered every question easily, honestly and in as much detail as he though was necessary to make Patrick feel comfortable.

They turned here and there.

Patrick didn’t have much of a plan for where he wanted to go.

He just wanted to see the old town.

So far everything was mostly the same.

Some houses were gone, replaced by newer ones.

Some were replaced by small stores or converted into insurance offices and funeral homes.

Then they got to the school.

 

Patrick pointed towards the building, not saying anything.

Pete read the metal letters fixed to the side and hummed.

 

The school looked abandoned.

The doors had chains linking them together with a lock.

The windows were either broken or covered with ply-boards.

There was graffiti and garbage strewn about.

 

“We only went here eight months of sixth grade. All three of us were born in April. Omega’s weren’t allowed to continue school once they presented.”

“You wanna get a closer look?”

“Drive to the far side of the building.”

Pete did as he was told, pulling into the parking lot and circling the front of the building until Patrick said stop.

“That one,” Patrick pointed, “That was our music class. One of the only places besides the tree house that I could still play.”

Pete stayed quiet, sniffing the air every few seconds to make sure Patrick’s scent was still reasonably calm.

The omega hadn't done anything to make him think differently, but he could never be too sure.

 

So many bad memories were tied to this place.

Patrick had been a target for bullies since he’d started school.

For no real reason that he could figure out.

He kept to himself, Brendon and Gerard.

Stayed quiet and did his work like he was supposed to.

He was a teacher’s wet dream.

They always complimented him on being well behaved and mature for his age.

But they didn’t know that the only reason he behaved like that was because he was too anxious and afraid to do anything that would attract attention to himself.

 

It never worked.

Maybe instead of avoiding attention it put a target on his back.

A target that made bullies shove him against the lockers as they walked by or knock his books out of his arms. 

A target that made them throw food at him in the cafeteria. 

A target that made people want to hurt him.

A target that made him doubt everything about himself.

A target that made him hate himself for not being brave enough to stand up to the ones hurting him.

 

A target that made him think death would be a better option than life.

 

If it weren’t for Gerard and Brendon being by his sides, he might’ve gone through with it.

But they needed him.

They wanted him to stay alive.

Just like he needed and wanted them to stay alive.

 

He only ever had those two friends in school.

But that was enough to give him hope.

A hope that he held onto for the last six and a half years.

 

If he hadn’t held onto that feeling of hope, would he be gone now?

He doesn’t think he would be where he is now.

 

(It gets better.)

He used to be told that cliché by almost every adult he knew. 

But kids know better.

It's a phrase that gets told over and over again by people.

For a long time, he didn’t believe it.

He hoped it was true.

But things had been bad and then gotten worse.

 

Eventually though, they really did get better.

But it took time.

It doesn’t just get better like they said it would.

Even after he met Pete he had struggled.

He still does.

But life is continuing, despite the bad days here or there.

Life now, it was better than he ever hoped it could be.

 

 

Patrick was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a hand on his face.

Pete was wiping a tear off his cheek.

The omega hadn’t made a single sound but there were a few tears streaming down his face.

“Trick?” The omega’s scent had remained calm. Or as calm as he had been lately.

Patrick’s eyes flicked to his, as he tilted his head into the alpha’s touch.

“I’m just really glad I met you.” He said softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Maybe that we are taking weapons away from young people by saying that it just gets better because that’s just not the truth, it doesn’t just get better. Saying stuff like that, ya know we’ll work it out or well be fine or whatever, ya know, that’s like a weapon of the status quo. People for the most part fear change. Little change is fine. Ya know like you can dye your hair and shi-or whatever that kind of stuff. But I mean real change is scary, the idea that something may be harder before it gets easier ya know is difficult for people to kind of understand. And that change will only come with this generation of kids. So maybe we should be re-messaging and saying something like, ‘You are the only person in direct control of your own happiness. And the happiness you make around you.’ And sometimes that’s gonna be hard ya know and we have to talk about hard things or else people think its okay to shoot unarmed fuckin' teenagers ya know. Sometimes before it gets better the darkness gets bigger." – Pete Wentz


	78. Confidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter that i needed to use to give details to set up the next chapters.  
> *  
> *  
> *  
> The next chapter will be posted right after this.

Pete and Patrick drove around for over an hour.

Stopping and slowing down whenever the omega wanted to get a better look at something.

They ended up stopping at Patrick’s childhood home. 

He wanted to visit with his brothers for a bit and say goodbye.

They were eating lunch and talking about almost everything that came to mind.

Almost.

He didn’t say anything about his heat coming soon.

That was the last thing he wanted to talk to his brothers about.

He didn’t mention that they were leaving tomorrow. 

Figuring out a way to do so without upsetting Kevin was his main priority.

Ben had actually come around more and it seemed like he and Pete were getting along great.

But Kevin still didn’t seem settled.

That was why Patrick kept trying to avoid letting the conversation drift to the subject of leaving.

It wasn’t until Kevin asked him about talking to their mother again that he couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, “We’re leaving tomorrow morning.”

Pete raised his eyebrows in surprise but quickly averted his attention back to the older Stump brothers to see their reactions.

Ben nodded, not seemingly surprised at all and went back to his sandwich.

Kevin looked back and forth between his brothers and Pete a few times before stopping on Patrick, “That soon huh?”

“Don’t take it the wrong way Kev. I’m happy to see you guys again. But I really want to get back to LA and out of this town.”

“I get that. But Pete if you—”

“I swear Kev, if you threaten him again, I’ll—”

“Just…don’t hurt him or—”

“I’ll never hurt him.” Pete tried again.

It seemed that no matter what anybody said to Kevin he was having a hard time trusting Pete.

 

Ben felt the tension rise in the room and decided enough was enough.

“Excuse us.” Ben said, standing and pulling Kevin out of the room.

Once they were out of earshot of their youngest brother Ben stepped close to Kevin’s face and spoke in a low voice, “Kevin, not too long ago we thought Patrick was dead.”

Kevin flinched at his words and opened his mouth to respond but Ben cut him off again.

“Pete didn’t have to call and let us see him again. He didn’t even have to tell us he was alive. And he didn’t have to let us see him again. He chose to do those things because he’s a good guy. Another alpha could’ve reacted differently, and we might still be moping around this house thinking he’s dead and gone never knowing that he’s been out there somewhere. He could’ve been sent to a shelter if Pete wasn’t there. He could’ve gotten sold again to someone else and tortured even more.”

“Fine. I agree with that. He didn’t need to do any of those things, and I am thankful that he did. But why do you trust him so easily? We barely know him and we’re just letting him own and be in a relationship with our little brother.”

“Do you remember a time when we were kids that Patrick stood up for himself?”

Kevin stayed quiet. He didn’t need to say anything for Ben to know his answer.

“Because I don’t. But now, every time you’ve said something against his relationship with Pete, he gets defensive. He fights back and stands up for himself. Don’t tell me you don’t feel proud of him for that. Pete gave him a confidence level that he didn’t have even before he presented.” 

Kevin dropped his gaze to the floor.

He knew that what Ben was saying was right.

But he couldn’t help but feel the protective still.

“Do you really think he’s gonna be okay?”

“Yes. And it’s not like we’ll never see him again. We can visit or he can come back here. But you need to let up on Pete or that baby brother of ours isn’t gonna want to have any visits.”

“I guess you’re right. It’s hard though.”

“I know. But you need to try.”

 

 

“You guys okay?” Patrick asked when his brothers came back into the room.

“Yep. Just Kevin being stubborn like usual.” Ben teased, though his voice carried a warning tone directed at his middle brother.

Kevin smiled and elbowed his big brother before looking up at Patrick and Pete, “I’m sorry for being difficult. It’s just hard and it’ll take me some time to get comfortable with everything.”

“Thank you for trying.” Patrick said softly.

 

A few hours passed as they talked.

Everything was calmer than it had been earlier.

Kevin didn’t continue to watch Pete like a hawk, and he didn’t say anything suspicious to Patrick.

Ben found that he actually really enjoyed talking to Pete.

They had a lot in common being the same age.

 

While they were deep in conversation Kevin figured he could try talking to Patrick without it turning into an argument.

 

“You’re not gonna talk to mom at all are you?”

“I hadn’t planned on it. I don’t think it would do any good for either of us.”

“I guess. Ya know, despite all the arguing we’ve done when we see each other I’m gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

 

“So, how many people will actually be in your pack?”

“Um…” Patrick hesitated while he mentally counted, “ten now with Mikey joining us.”

“Isn’t he still underage?”

“He’s seventeen. He’s been living with Gee in New York since he was fifteen.”

“Their parents must really trust them.”

“I think Gee is the one who convinced them to let Mikey go. Their mom trusts them. Their dad worries about Gee, thinks Mikey might accidentally hurt him because he’s an alpha.”

“That doesn’t seem likely.”

“I know. But it’s no different from you thinking Pete will hurt me just because he’s an alpha.”

“Touché.”

“Really Kev, would our relationship bother you this much if Pete was a beta or omega?”

“No, I suppose not. I really am sorry that it’s taking me so long to get used to the idea. I just…knowing you were hurt so long by an alpha, it worries me.”

“I know. But Pete isn’t like that alpha.”

“Half of me knows that. But the other half of me wants to keep you away from every alpha in existence and protect you.”

“I don’t need to be kept anymore. I was kept away from the world for long enough.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to sound like…”

“It’s okay. I know what you meant.”

Kevin grabbed Patrick’s hand, giving him a light squeeze, “Trick…are you really alright?”

“I have good days and bad days just like everyone else and I have Pete and bunch of other people to help me through both. You and Ben included.”

“Good. I know being future rock stars is gonna take a lot of your time but do me a favor and check in with us every now and then.”

Patrick laughed at that, “Anything for the fans.”

Kevin rolled his eyes and ruffled his little brother’s hair, “Yeah yeah yeah ha ha.”

 

 

Saying goodbye was harder than Patrick thought it would be.

Despite knowing that Kevin and Pete still had a way to go before they could call each other friends it was a relief when the alphas shook hands and politely exchanged goodbyes.

He held onto the hugs with Kevin and Ben longer than he had last time, knowing it would be even longer before they saw each other again.

 

“Promise me you’ll call as soon as you get back. And on the road if you think of it.”

“I promise.”

“Be careful. Drive safe.”

“Of course.”

“If you ever need anything let us know, we’ll be there.”

“Same to you.”

“I love you guys.”

 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Back at the Way house they found their friends hanging out in the living room.

It was a bit tense.

Donald had apparently tried to convince them it wasn’t a good idea for the young alpha to go to California with them.

Gerard argued that point of course, resulting in Donald being almost totally silent now. 

Donna on the other hand took it upon herself to bake cookies and assemble sandwiches and snacks for to take with them tomorrow.

Frank flashed Pete a smile of relief when he and Patrick walked into the room.

Pete smirked, “Miss me?” as he sat down next to his friend.

“I’m just glad were leaving tomorrow. Patrick make sure your boyfriend sleeps tonight; we need to get outta here early.” Frank whispered so only the two of them heard him.

Mikey had stayed as close to Gerard as he could get. Sitting on the floor beside his brother as he watched him draw.

Patrick took notice of this and slid from his spot next to Pete on the couch down to the floor on the other side of Mikey.

He always liked watching his friend draw, it was sometimes as calming as music.

Patrick recognized the character Gerard was drawing as a better version of one he used to draw as a kid, “Sir Reginald again huh?”

Gerard looked over at him in shock, “You—you remember it? I can’t believe you actually remember my stupid doodles.”

“Don’t say that. They’re not stupid or doodles. They’re amazing, they always were. I always loved your comics.”

Gerard was still staring at him in shock, his mouth hanging slightly open.

“I found one the other day when I first went back into my room. The copy you made me of ‘Dr. Terminal’s Answer’ was still in my backpack.”

Gerard looked like he wanted to cry, instead leaning across Mikey to wrap his arms around Patrick’s neck and pull him close for a moment.

 

When they pulled back Patrick asked, “Have you written any more of them?”

“A few actually, well I wrote a few more for that first set. Then I started another couple as like a second series, but you might not—”

“I’m sure I’ll love them.”

“You haven’t read them yet.”

“You underestimate yourself.”

Gerard hesitated a moment, he hadn’t actually worked on the series for a while, though he had never stopped sketching the characters. Maybe now was the time to pick it up again. 

“Alright. I’ll dig ‘em out of my closet and we’ll have something to do during the ride tomorrow.”

“Good.”

 

They visited for a few more hours. 

Around 9 o’clock Patrick remembered what he and Pete talked about this morning.

He still wanted to try, despite his nerves being slightly on edge about something his mind associated with pain.

 

He turned around and looked at Pete until the alpha met his eyes.

For a long moment they stared at each other.

Patrick had never believed in reading minds before, but he swears it felt like Pete was inside his head, hearing all of his thoughts.

After a moment he felt like he was being asked a question, did he want to go upstairs and try the ‘precautions’ that Joe had talked about?

He nodded slightly and Pete stood up, offering a hand to the omega to help him stand.

“Goodnight everybody.” He hugged Donna and watched in amusement as Frank grabbed Pete’s arm, and firmly saying “7AM Peter.”

Pete gave a mock salute and led Patrick up to their room.


	79. Lube and Prostates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 😉P😉E😉T😉E😉R😉I😉C😉K😉

“Can we try now?”

“Anything you want. We still need to get some lube though.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows in question. “Where are you gonna find that?”

“I’m sure there is plenty in this house with Gerard and Bren having spent so many heats here.”

“You’re gonna rummage through the house until you find some?”

“I could ask Mikey.”

“No. No. Absolutely not. My little brother does NOT need to know about this.”

“Haha, fine fine. I could ask Gee.”

Patrick sighed, “That’s a better idea. Still embarrassing though.”

“Trick, Gee has had plenty of his own heats. Not to mention the amount of non-heat sex that he has with Frank.”

“I know. But I haven’t ever really talked about sex with him yet.”

“Alright. I’ll look in here and if I don’t find any, I’ll ask Gee.” Pete said, though it sounded more like a question, still giving Patrick a chance to say no.

“Okay.”

 

With that Pete stood up and started rummaging through the bedside tables and dresser drawers before heading into the bathroom to root around under the sink.

 

A few minutes later and Patrick sighed in relief when he heard, “Found some.”

Pete walked back into the room holding a tall black bottle out to Patrick.

He figured the best way to introduce Patrick to everything was by letting him explore.

During his OSR training one of the things he learned was that a lot of fear is derived from the unknown. You can take away fear by introducing stimulations to the five senses in small steps.

If Patrick could hold the bottle, read the label, or touch the lube himself he might feel less freaked out.

 

Patrick held the bottle close to his face as he read the words covering the tube.

He wasn’t really interested in what it had to say.

But he was curious about what the stuff really was.

Tilting it he could feel the liquid slowly sliding around inside.

He moved his fingers towards the top of the cap, looking up at Pete for direction.

The alpha nodded with a small smile gracing his lips, it was fascinating seeing Patrick discover something new.

 

Patrick popped the cap open and blinked as he sniffed the top.

“Peaches?”

“It’s flavored.”

“Can I…?” Patrick tilted it slightly, squeezing a drop onto his fingertips.

He dropped the bottle into his lap as he stared at his hand and rubbed his fingers together.

“It’s not as sticky as I thought it would be.”

“It’s not supposed to be.”

Patrick sighed and dropped his hand, looking at the alpha, “How do you know if you use enough?”

“Because you won’t be in any pain.”

Patrick stared at his boyfriend thoughtfully, Pete seemed like he knew what he was doing. 

Besides, he didn’t have anything to lose, Pete would still love him even if he panics and they need to stop.

“Okay. So…how do we do this?”

Pete picked up the bottle and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Take your clothes off and lay down.” Pete said gently. Trying everything he could not to sound too suggestive, despite the words he used.

Patrick stood up slowly, getting undressed was easy.

They had done this plenty of times.

‘Pete has already sucked you off once.’ He told himself.

It worked in calming him down because he wasn’t as nervous as he had been a moment ago.

When he let himself lay back on the bed, he realized how exposed he was. He pushed up on his elbows and glanced towards the door, “Can you lock it please?”

Pete immediately complied before taking his place beside Patrick again.

“Can I touch you?” Pete asked, hovering his hand over the omega’s thigh.

A stiff nod and Pete let his hand rest just above Patrick’s knee, using his thumb to rub circles on his skin.

“Breath baby. I’m just gonna give you a massage first. Okay?”

Patrick let out a breath and nodded, more relaxed this time.

They had done this before.

Slowly Pete ran his hands over his boyfriend’s thighs, up to his hips. 

Then over his chest and down his arms.

Squeezing and pressing into the muscles under his hands.

He repeated this movement multiple times, lingering on his thighs since it was the area closest to where they would be experimenting.

The idea behind it was to try and make Patrick feel more relaxed before going any further with their plans.

Pete smiled to himself when he noticed Patrick’s eyes slip closed, a small hum escaping his lips.

“Trick?”

Patrick was pulled from his daze at Pete’s voice and looked up at him, realizing that they were about to move forward.

“You still wanna do this?”

“Yes. I’m just nervous.”

“You ready?”

“Uh huh. Just go slow.”

“Of course. Spread your legs and bend your knees.”

Pete let Patrick move at his own pace as he gently adjusted himself to sit in front of the omega.

Patrick felt really exposed now.

Pete seemed to pick up of his nerves and leaned forward, kissing the side of one of his knees before sitting back slightly.

He didn’t want to make Patrick feel trapped under him, so he wasn’t going to lean over him at all.

But Patrick didn’t seem to think about that.

“Pete?”

“Hmm?” The alpha hummed as he ran the tips of his fingers up and down the side of Patrick’s leg.

“Kiss me?”

Pete only hesitated a second before using his arms to hold his body off of Patrick’s as he leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

“You can stop this at any time.” Pete reminded him.

Patrick nodded and took a deep breath.

 

Pete poured some lube into his hand, “Trick?”

“I’m okay. Go ahead.”

 

Slowly Pete used his fingers to spread the lube around the muscle of the omega’s hole.

Keeping his eyes locked on Patrick’s face as he tried to find any signs of discomfort or panic.

 

Patrick didn’t really know how to feel.

He wasn’t afraid of Pete touching him.

But nothing had really touched him there since he had his exam to get suppressants.

And before that it was the tests and exams after he rescued.

Before that it was all pain and hurt from the monster that kept him locked in his basement.

 

But now, now Pete was being so gentle and soft that he was shocked at just how easy it was to relax.

Still, from his spot on the bed he couldn’t see what was happening.

“Pete?”

Immediately Pete puled his hand away and waited for panic that never came.

“You alright?”

“I just—can I have your other hand?” He asked holding up one of his own and making a grabby motion.

Pete let out a sigh of relief and held out his free hand for Patrick to take.

Holding onto Pete's wrist made his nerves settle. 

His heartbeat slowed down again and he relaxed more.

“Okay?”

“Keep going.”

 

Pete went back to smearing the lube on Patrick’s hole, this time focusing more on his movements rather than the omega’s face.

“I’m gonna put a finger in now.”

“Okay.” Patrick squeezed Pete’s wrist and fingers with both hands, trying to prepare himself for the expected pain.

 

It never came.

There was no pain, but he definitely felt the alpha’s finger sliding into him.

Confusion took over and he lightened his grip on the alpha’s hand.

 

It didn’t hurt.

It didn’t burn inside.

Nothing felt rough or too stretched.

 

It actually felt kind of good.

He was slightly turned on from the sensation.

He hummed at the new feeling, relaxing more.

Pete glanced up at him, smiling to himself again when he realized it was a happy noise.

“I’m gonna add another finger.” Pete murmured.

He slipped the second finger in past the ring of muscle, this time stopping his movements once he was knuckle deep.

He wanted to be positive that Patrick wasn’t experiencing any discomfort.

Judging by the soft hums and the way the omega had started pushing back against Pete’s fingers he was doing something right.

Seeing his fingers slide in and out of his future mate gave Pete an adrenaline shot through his body. He was turned on just watching Patrick writhe around in front of him.

He also knew that Patrick was slightly turned on too.

The omega was half hard himself, despite not making a move to touch himself.

 

He started shifting his fingers around, he thought briefly about whether or not he should try to find the omega’s prostate.

 

He wanted to make him feel good but decided against doing anything without asking first.

 

No, he would wait a bit longer for that.

Pushing limits was not something to test without Patrick knowing about it.

 

“Trick, can I have my hand back for a sec? I need to add more lube.”

Truthfully, Pete thought there was more than enough lube already, but he didn’t want to take any chances when he started stretching him.

Patrick let go and pushed himself up on his elbows again.

Curious, he watched as Pete used his newly freed hand to pour more lube on his other fingers still inside his hole.

He really was turned on from this.

Something he definitely didn’t expect.

Without being asked Pete offered his wrist again.

Patrick grabbed him again and leaned back down, letting Pete’s arm rest on his stomach.

 

There were a few short minutes of going in and out before Pete decided it was time to try stretching him.

“Trick, I’m gonna start stretching you now, so any pain, any at all, just let me know.”

“Okay.”

Patrick thought maybe he should be nervous, but it hadn’t hurt so far.

 

Pete moved slowly at first.

Scissoring his fingers in every direction he could.

He watched Patrick’s face again.

All he saw was Patrick’s head tilted backwards, his mouth was opened slightly, and he was panting.

 

The omega’s body responded perfectly, opening up and pulsating around the alpha’s fingers, pushing into his touch.

Pete said he was adding a third finger, but Patrick didn’t hear him.

He didn’t feel when Pete slipped it in either.

With three fingers deep and no pain or panic, Pete thought that this was a pretty good reaction considering what could’ve happened.

 

 

“Trick?” Pete tried.

When he didn’t get a verbal response, he stopped his movements with his fingers and waited for Patrick to get more lucid.

“Hmmm…I’m good Petey...” The omega panted.

Pete smirked, “I know. I just want to talk to you a second and ask your permission to try something.”

This got Patrick’s attention.

“What is it?”

“This is obviously working. And so far, you seem comfortable with it.”

“Yeah. It feels a lot better than I expected. No pain.”

“Good. We’re not gonna use any toys today, but how do you feel about me using my fingers?”

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing.”

“Yeah but, I mean as a way to get off. I haven’t tried it yet, but I think I could find your prostate pretty easily.”

“And…?”

Patrick really didn’t know where Pete was going with this.

He knew prostate was part of the male body but what did that have to do with anything in this scenario.

This realization made Pete wonder if he should be happy or sad that Patrick doesn’t know the wonderful feeling.

“With your permission I’ll show you.”

“Okay.”

Patrick leaned up on his elbows again, watching Pete curiously as he felt the alpha’s fingers moving around inside him.

Then it happened. 

Pete brushed against something inside of him that made his eyes roll backwards as he let out a moan and dropped his head on the mattress.

Pete stopped and waited for Patrick’s response.

“What was that?” Patrick moaned.

“That’s your prostate.”

“It’s…you’re…really good at this.”

“Haha, thank you baby. So, I take it you want me to keep going?”

“Please…”

 

 

The alpha continued his movements until Patrick was a panting and whining.

Pete was amazed at how relaxed and undone Patrick had become.

He was slightly turned on himself, but he wasn’t really focused on his own pleasure.

All he wanted to do was make sure Patrick had a good time this morning so that the omega would feel less nervous going into his heat.

“Pe-ete…please…”

“Please what? I told you, I’ll give you anything you ask for baby.”

Patrick huffed and pushed himself back against Pete’s fingers again.

 

The omega looked painfully hard, the head of his cock was an angry red and it rested against Pete’s arm that Patrick was still holding.

This whole time Patrick hadn’t once reached down to touch himself.

Something that both amazed and befuddled the alpha.

He had been holding onto Pete’s hand and arm the entire time, not once letting go.

He hadn’t told Patrick to keep his hands off.

But it still seemed like he was waiting for permission.

Something in the moans and whines that sounded like he was close to crying made Pete relent.

If Patrick wasn’t going to touch himself then he could suck him off like yesterday.

 

Pete adjusted his position as gently as he could, sliding himself backwards, trying not to jostle the omega too much.

He kept his fingers deep inside his boyfriend and made sure not to pull his arm away from his grasp as he leaned forward.

Pete licked a stripe from the base to the tip of Patrick’s cock, making him arch up off the bed and whine louder.

“Ungg—Pete…”

“Mmmm.” Pete hummed, finally taking the omega into his mouth.

Copying his moments from the first time they did this It didn’t take long before the overstimulation was too much for Patrick and he came into the alpha’s mouth.

Pete gently removed his fingers and sat up while Patrick caught his breath.

 

 

“Trick? You okay?”

 

Patrick stayed where he was, unsure of what to do now, but too spent to try and figure it out.

He felt guilty again for not being able to do the same for Pete. 

At least not yet.

“I’m good. I still wish I could do the same for you though.”

“I’ve already told you not to worry about that. Besides, this wasn’t about me. It was to help you get more comfortable with a few things that might help you during your heat.”

“We can definitely do all of that. I’m not sure about the toys and plugs though. We can try those.” Patrick sounded more sure of himself now than he had in a while.

Pete smirked, “We’re done for right now. But we’ll definitely try before your heat starts.”

 

“Now what?”

“Now, we shower. And then go to sleep. We’re leaving early tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.” Patrick let go of Pete’s arm, slowly sitting up, afraid of a pain from his past that still wasn’t there.

“My legs feel like jello.” Patrick mumbled when he swung them over the edge of the bed.

“Bath it is then.”


	80. Morse Code

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler because needed a transition type thing. But its got some of Pete's inner-monologue and the goodbyes with Mr. and Mrs. Way. 
> 
> The next chapter(s) will be the trip back to LA mostly, more stuff happens in them.

“Trick…Trick…” Pete gently shook at his boyfriend’s shoulder.

Patrick is definitely not a morning person.

His only response to Pete’s prodding was a groan before he buried his face in his pillow again.

“C’mon Trick, we need to get going before Frank’s head explodes. I can carry you down to the truck, but you should say goodbye to Donna.”

“Fine, fine. Lemme get dressed and then I’ll go down.”

“You’re already dressed.”

Patrick cracked an eye open at his boyfriend, then shifted slightly to see if he really was dressed.

He had only been wearing a pair of underwear when they went to bed last night. Now he was wearing pants, a shirt, socks and a sweatshirt.

“When did…”

“About a half hour ago. Now c’mon, all our stuff is already packed. Mikey took the last of it down a little bit ago. We just need to get you and Gee downstairs to say goodbye before we leave. Then you can go back to sleep in the truck.”

Patrick sat up and rubbed at his eyes, yawning, “Will you still carry me?”

Pete laughed lightly, “of course.”

 

Donna squeezed Patrick in what he could only compare to an iron hug. “I’m so proud of you. Be careful out there yeah?”

“Promise.”

 

Gerard and Mikey took turns hugging both of their parents.

“Are you sure that—” Donald started but gave up after a pointed look from his wife. “Just be careful.”

“And Gerard look—”

“Look after Mikey. Yes I know.”

“We love you.”

 

“Get comfortable. We’re gonna be trapped in the truck for a while before we stop.” Frank said as he pulled the front seat forward so the others could climb into the back seat.

Gerard nodded, tossing in a pillow and blanket before falling into the middle seat, Patrick on one side of him and Mikey on the other.

Frank and Pete would be taking turns driving so they kept everything they would need up front with them.

Gerard loved road trips, specifically he loved road trips with Frank. Sitting in the middle gave him access to reach across the console in the front seat touch his mate all he wanted. 

“All set baby.” Gerard winked at his mate and smirked when he got an eyeroll in return.

 

It was only a few minutes of driving before Mikey and Patrick were asleep again. Both using Gerard as a human pillow. 

This was something that made Frank happy because it meant his mate couldn’t lean forward and poke or grab at him. Instead the omega settled for drawing in his sketchbook, using his future pack mates as models.

Frank was trying to get back to sleep, it was Pete’s turn to drive first. He was gonna take over tonight so they could drive all the way through without having to stop somewhere for the night.

In total it would be about fifteen hours of driving each, and with Frank’s insomnia he preferred to make himself useful at night.

 

Pete kept glancing back at his boyfriend in the rearview mirror.

The omega looked so peaceful he almost felt guilty for waking him earlier.

It did unsettle him knowing that Patrick was close to his heat.

He just wants to be back home where he feels safe enough to take care of him properly.

As long as they got as far as they could today everything should be alright. He only planned to stop when it was really necessary. Bathroom breaks and gas stations were the only reason they would be getting out of the car.

Even though he felt guilty for thinking it, he really was grateful that Patrick was submissive. Especially in public.

It meant that less people would notice him and therefore less people would be interested enough to bother him.

He just wanted Patrick safe.

While he didn’t agree with keeping him from the world, that is the last thing he wants to take away from Patrick; he can’t help but think about how much safer the omega would be if Pete kept him all to himself.

He’ll never try it of course.

Never.

Especially since he’d heard him sing.

That was something he would never try to keep to himself.

It needed to be shared.

Seeing how happy and excited Patrick gets when he sees something new makes the fear about taking him in public worth it.

 

Omega’s like Gerard or Brendon weren’t nearly as submissive.

They weren’t as afraid of the world as Patrick is. 

And Joe, well, Joe isn’t exactly afraid of the world, but he knows more than enough about it to understand how to navigate it with as little trouble as possible.

Especially during his heat.

Pete didn’t think Patrick would behave like Brendon had before his heat, but he was terrified of the possibility.

 

The last thing he could ever do is try to assert control over his boyfriend. 

He didn’t want that.

He didn’t like the way omegas put out submissive scents just to please their alphas.

He didn’t like being the one in control, yet Patrick trusted him to make decisions that would affect the both of them.

 

Looking at Patrick in the rearview mirror again he smiled to himself when he saw Gerard nuzzle his hair.

 

If Patrick didn’t have other omegas to talk to, especially ones that he trusted, he might not have recovered as well as he had.

That was something he was thankful for.

 

 

“Penny for your thoughts?” Gerard asked.

Pete caught his eye in the mirror, “Just thinking.”

“You mean overthinking.”

“Yeah I guess.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

Pete pondered for a moment, did he?

“I just really wanna get back.”

“Chicago isn’t my favorite place either. But something tells me there’s more buggin you than that.”

 

Pete sighed, “Trick…his heat is gonna hit in a few days.” Pete said softly, not wanting to wake up anybody else with their conversation.

 

Gerard was quiet for a moment, “Does he know?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, he doesn’t seem to be very scared for it.”

“He was when I first told him.”

“Are you guys gonna mate?”

“No. I don’t think he’s ready for that. I’m pretty sure sex is something that scares him more than heat.”

“Too bad. It would make his heat a lot easier to deal with.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want him to say yes just to push himself and then regret it after.”

“Well, if you need help taking care of him, I’m there.”

“Thanks. 

 

 

 

BACK IN LA

 

Andy was awake first, it was only 5am, but he had asked Pete to text him when they were starting their drive home.

 

Today he and Joe would be taking almost everything else from their apartment over to the new house, only keeping what they would need for one more night.

It was a bit of an emotional thought to realize that this would be the last night he spends in this apartment.

He and Pete have lived here for almost seven years, since they first became a pack when they were eighteen.

It was cheap because of the location and rent control for the building being so old, but it worked for them. 

It was like their own castle when they first moved in.

 

 

Flashback…

 

It had been about two weeks since Pete and Andy formed their pack.

 

Today they were looking at an apartment in downtown LA.

 

“What do you think?”

“I like it. It’s definitely an improvement from the motels and the car.”

“Can we afford it?”

“I think so. We can use our savings for the first month. If I get that job at the record place we’ll be good with some extra to put back into savings.”

“Are you sure you want me to just write songs? I don’t mind getting a job ya know.”

“I’m sure. If were gonna make it as a band we’ll need our own material.”

“And some new band members. I do not like singing.”

“Someday. For now, we need to worry about us.”

“I’m in if you’re in.” Pete said calmly.

Decision making had never been as easy as it was with Andy.

He would do anything, be anything, go anywhere and live anywhere his brother wanted him to. Because although not brothers by blood, Andy was the best family he’d ever known.

“Alright then.” Andy smiled, “Lets go tell the building owner we want it before someone else gets a chance.”

“Yeah, but can you do the talking?” Pete asked, “This guy pisses me off. If I talk to him I might snap and rip his face off.”

Andy smiled at his friend, “I’m not opposed to the idea of you ripping him apart but no murder until we can afford a really good lawyer please.”

 

What felt like an eternity later, they had signed a lease and gotten their keys from the building owner; the guy really got under Pete and Andy’s skin with the way he talked about things.

He wasn’t rude directly to them, but if he knew how they saw things he probably would be.

They couldn’t risk a disagreement with him this soon, they needed a place to stay. It isn’t safe in LA on the best of terms but sleeping in Andy’s car was just increasing their chances of being mugged or worse.

 

They didn’t have much to move in, a bag of clothes each, Andy’s drums, Pete’s bass and a few memorabilia from their childhood that they saw fit to keep and sleeping bags.

“We’ll have to wait to get furniture. Until we make some more money we only spend on the vital stuff.”

“Okay, so food and toothpaste.” Pete affirmed.

He hadn’t brushed his teeth since he left and his mouth felt gross. Dental hygiene was not in his list of priorities when escaping their hometown.

“Agreed. Before we go to the store we should shower though. Which room do you want?”

 

There were three bedrooms, two of them were the same size and had their own bathrooms; the third was smaller and more hidden, tucked away at the end of the hall.

“Doesn’t matter to me, they both look the same.” Pete gestured to the two rooms side by side in front of them.

 

Andy nodded, moving to the door closest to him, “Clean up, we’ll head to the store in like an hour.”

Pete mimicked Andy’s movements, going into his own door.

 

 

 

A few hours later…

 

Andy was laying in his sleeping bag on the floor of ‘his room’. He was happy to finally have a place of his own, but he felt weird. 

It didn’t feel like “his” space yet. Granted there wasn’t much in the room, but it was bizarre to look around at the empty space and not see anything. 

Even weirder because Pete wasn’t here.

He knew his fried was just on the other side of the wall that he was lying next to, but he felt far away.

He couldn’t hear any movement in his friend’s room, he figures he’s probably asleep.

 

Sitting up, he leaned against the wall and sighed.

The last time he slept in an empty house was when he and Pete were eleven and they broke into an abandoned house to see if it was haunted.

 

It was quiet for a moment or two before Andy heard tapping on the wall behind him.

·- ·-- ·- -·- ·

Andy smirked and turned sideways against the wall, tapping back:

-·-· ·--- -- ·

 

A few seconds later Andy’s door was opening, and Pete shuffled in, still in his sleeping bag.

Without hesitation he curled up next to Andy and mumbled, “night.”

 

 

 

Flashback end…

 

 

Minutes had turned into hours, Andy and Joe had almost the entire apartment emptied except for their, and Pete and Patrick’s bed. They would move those tomorrow with Frank’s U-Haul before he returned it to the rental place.

It was noon and while they were having lunch, they called Pete to check in. 

They had made it to the next state but if they weren’t driving with a trailer they would be making better time

Their friends were still over a days drive out, not including stops, but at least they were on their way back.


	81. Road Trip

1:38pm   
Windsor Heights, Iowa

 

Pete had just pulled into another gas station. He had been driving for a while now and it was clear that everyone needed a break from being in the truck.

They had only stopped two times before this to get gas.

Being the middle of the day, they decided to eat lunch in the parking lot and stock up on snacks while they’re here.

It would also give everyone a chance to stretch before cramming themselves back into the truck.

Pete still had about another ten hours to go before Frank took over.

 

There weren’t many people around.

Just a beta woman in her 50s at the register, a mother and father with two small children and two burley looking alphas sitting on a bench outside reading newspapers.

After Pete refilled the tank, they all walked around the small convenience store, grabbing whatever snacks looked good.

Patrick stayed close to Pete the entire time lowering his head whenever he felt like a stranger was close, only picking out snacks when Pete prompted him or asked.

It was almost the opposite of what Gerard was doing, which was leading the path around the aisles while Frank and Mikey followed him like ducklings.

 

Gerard and Patrick were looking at a map, standing just behind Frank and Pete at the register when Gerard felt a hand on his arm, pushing him sideways towards Patrick.

Fully expecting to see some handsy alpha behind him he turned with a glare only to freeze when he noticed it was Mikey touching him. 

A moment of confusion passed before he figured out what was going on.

The young alpha wasn’t looking at him, he was glaring at another alpha a few yards away from them.

 

The stranger was one of the burley guys that was sitting outside when they came in, he was big, greasy looking with a beard that appeared like it might’ve been alive at some point. 

And he was staring at Gerard and Patrick with pupils that made it clear he was in rut.

The guy just puffed his chest out and narrowed his eyes a bit.

A clear sign he was trying to intimidate the omegas.

It worked slightly on Patrick. 

He moved closer to Pete and ducked his head, grabbing a fistful of the back of his boyfriend’s shirt.

It did not work on Gerard though.

Not at all.

Gerard glared back at the guy and used his arm to nudge his brother behind him more.

He didn’t want to see Mikey get hurt.

He was hoping the move would make the stranger notice that he wasn’t backing down, and that he had back up if the guy tried anything.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to register in the stranger’s mind.

 

When the man moved forward a step, a growl tore out of Mikey’s throat, finally alerting Pete and Frank.

They stepped between the stranger and their mates.

The stranger had stopped when Mikey growled, but didn’t give the young alpha any of his attention; he was still focused on the omegas.

 

“You three go to the truck.” Frank ordered quietly.

Mikey nodded, putting a protective arm around Patrick’s shoulders and started pulling at Gerard’s arm to get him to move.

“Frank.” Gerard glanced at his mate before turning his eyes back to the stranger.

“Now Gee. Go.”

Gerard sighed and let himself be pulled outside by his brother, but he kept looking back at his mate, not happy with this at all.

The omegas were hesitant to leave, not wanting to be away from their alphas, but they knew it was safer. 

Safer for them and safer for their mates. If their mates didn’t have to worry about protecting them, they’ll be able to protect themselves better.

Mikey locked themselves in the truck and they all stared at the door to the building, mentally trying to will their friends to appear.

 

 

Back inside things had escalated quickly, but not in the way Pete, Frank or the stranger had expected.

 

“I highly suggest you back off.”

Pete didn’t want to fight. 

He didn’t want to get anywhere near this guy.

The stench of rut and whatever the guys personal aroma was is not something he wants to have stuck on him.

The guy didn’t say anything, just growled lowly.

It wasn’t anything new to Pete.

He had dealt with aggressive alphas during their rut before.

Mostly when he was forced to fight as punishment in his parent’s pack.

The disciplinarian chose to make his “cases” like Pete fight against alphas in rut because they were so easily triggered and high on adrenaline that they didn’t always know what or why they were fighting.

Being in rut messes with an alpha’s mind almost as much as an omega’s heat affects theirs.

During rut their instincts are telling them to assert dominance, mate, knot, or cover everything around them in their scent.

Calmer alphas, like Andy, were usually able to control themselves in public if they needed to go out during their rut.

It didn’t appear that this guy was gifted with the same resolve.

 

He didn’t have any control over himself, his inner alpha was at the surface going full throttle on proving his dominance.

 

The stranger only made it one more step before a loud click rang through the room.

 

The beta woman running the register was pointing a shotgun at the stranger.

“Out. Now.”

 

Pete was never one for weapons, but right now he was thanking whatever god was in the sky for middle American’s and their artilleries. 

This seemed to get through the guy enough that he left the store.

Frank followed him to make sure he stayed away from the truck while Pete bought their snacks.

“Now you boys enjoy your trip.” The woman put her gun down when the door closed and smiled sincerely at him as if the last five minutes had never happened.

He just smiled back and nodded before heading out to the truck.

 

“You guys didn’t fight?” Gerard sounded suspicious.

Frank turned around and looked over his shoulder as Pete pulled back onto the road, “No.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

The omega seemed happy with this answer, setting back into his seat before turning to his brother. 

The young alpha hadn’t said anything since they left the store.

“You alright?”

“Mikey?”

“Mikes?”

He shook his head and looked at his big brother as if he had just realized he was next to him, “Huh?”

Gerard smiled gently, “You wanna talk about it?”

 

Mikey narrowed his eyes, “I don’t like when people look at you like that.”

“Neither do I. But I’m used to it.”

“You shouldn’t be.”

This was a discussion that the brothers had had many times now. Ever since Gerard presented.

 

“Thank you for protecting me.”

Mikey shook his head, “You’ve spent your whole life protecting me. You should’ve been an alpha.”

Gerard slung his arm over the alpha’s shoulders, “I am happy being an omega ya know? Besides, alpha, beta or omega, I don’t think my personality would be any different.”

“I know.” Mikey relaxed more into his brother’s side and grabbed the omega’s wrist hanging by his chest and moved it so that Gerard’s hand was in his hair.

The omega smirked and mumbled, “So needy.” But began stroking his hair anyway, the same technique he did when they were kids and Mikey had a nightmare.

 

Hours passed slowly on open roads in this part of the country.

Mostly surrounded by fields, the occasional small town or rest stop.

 

Frank and Mikey had gone back to sleep.

Gerard had kept his promise of showing Patrick his comics.

Something that had them talking for the better part of two hours about characters and plot lines that Pete actually found rather interesting.

In the meantime, he kept his mouth shut and just hummed quietly along to the radio as he watched Gerard and Patrick in the mirror.

 

He had his own things to think about that he was trying to figure.

Patrick is going into heat soon.

The first REAL heat in years.

It’s bound to be bad.

Sex could help Patrick’s pain.

But they’re not ready for that.

Their room isn’t ready either.

They still need to go get their bed after they unload the trailer at the new house before they do that.

He’ll need to keep Patrick close by.

It isn’t for a few days that it will actually hit, but the effects could show early the way that Brendon’s had.

He doesn’t think that Patrick will be defiant.

Not at all.

In fact, he’ll probably just become more and more submissive the closer it gets.

 

That’s something he’ll need to work out over time.

Patrick is naturally shy, that’s fine.

Pete finds his shyness adorable.

But he doesn’t need to apologize for everything he does or be scared to speak his mind, especially with Pete.

 

 

10:27pm  
Castle Rock, Colorado

 

This time when they stop, they don’t go into the gas station.

They have more than enough snacks for the rest of the trip home.

 

When Frank takes over as driver, Gerard takes shotgun instead of Pete, who climbed into the back seat with Patrick and Mikey.

Gerard lifted the console and laid down with his head next to his mate’s lap.

Frank smirked and pushed his hand into the omega’s hair, tugging lightly every few seconds and scratching at his scalp.

“Gee…” Mikey started in a warning tone, “You two better not be doing anything gross.”

Frank chuckled while Gerard huffed, “We’re not. Get your mind outa the gutter. And even if we were it’s not gross, he’s my mate.”

“Geeeee…” Mikey whined.

 

Patrick and Pete tried to refrain from laughing too hard, looking at each other before covering their mouths with their hands.

Mikey heard them though, “Oh uh uh. Nope, you two aren’t allowed to do anything like that near me either.”

 

Pete pulled Patrick closer and put his hand on his thigh, before pushing his face into the omega’s neck and moaning dramatically.

Patrick rolled his eyes and pushed Pete back before turning to Mikey, “I promise, we’re not doing anything in front of anybody.”

“Thank you, Patrick. See, at least someone is on my side.”

“Aw c’mon Mikes, don’t act like you’ve never seen—”

“Petey stop teasing him.” Patrick chided when Mikey covered his face with his hands.

 

“Alright, alright. Sorry Mikes.”

 

 

8:02am  
Beaver, Utah

 

Frank had driven through the night, only stopping when he absolutely had to get gas or take a bathroom break.

Everyone had mostly slept through the night, with the exception of Gerard.

Like himself, his mate had trouble sleeping too.

It’s an interesting dynamic when both you and your mate have insomnia.

 

While Frank drove, he continued to pet Gerard’s hair, and even though he thought about it, he didn’t try to get a blowjob out of it.

If they were alone in the truck it wouldn’t have come up as an issue, it would’ve just happened without a second thought.

Even though they liked to tease Mikey, Gerard respected his brother’s wishes and kept things PG.

 

11:57am  
Roach, Nevada

Last night Pete had dropped his head onto Patrick’s shoulder and proceeded to sleep soundly.

Being exhausted from driving so long definitely knocked him out.

Sleeping with is face pressed into his mate’s collarbone and neck was a plus.

 

Patrick had woken up a couple hours ago but had tried to stay as still as possible as to not wake up his mate.

Instead he opted for popping in a pair of headphones and listening to the iPod Joe had given him.

They were just crossing the state line into California, only a few more hours and everything would be settled. Or at least more settled than they are now.

Patrick still had his heat to think about.

He didn’t feel any different.

But he knew Pete did.

Pete had been sniffing and scenting at him in his sleep.

Patrick didn’t mind, he never did.

It was just awkward when he looked over at Mikey and the young alpha chuckled, shaking his head.

 

1:34pm  
Halloran, California

Pete had only woken up a little bit ago when Frank pulled into another gas station.

“How much further?”

“About three hours.”

 

“We don’t need any snacks so lets just grab some drinks and get out before anything happens.” Frank groaned. 

He didn’t mind road trips.

But road trips with a trailer and multiple passengers, two of whom are omegas makes him nervous.

When he and Gerard would drive around, it wasn’t an issue, he only had to look out for one person.

While having a bigger pack gave him more security it also made more people notice their presence.

 

Inside, nobody wasted any time grabbing bottles of water, tea or soda and heading to the register.

The kid at the register was a young teenager, an alpha. 

He didn’t seem to notice that Patrick and Gerard were omegas, if he did, he didn’t let it show. 

He actually looked bored, not really looking up at any of them.

Pete sighed in relief and glanced around, his eyes getting caught on the tv hanging above the counter as the kid drug the drinks over the scanner.

 

There was a news story on the screen about some arrest that Pete supposed was big in the area.

Thankfully Patrick was distracted by something Gerard was telling him because when the reporter started talking Pete’s attention got caught again.

It was a story so similar to Patrick’s that Pete was a bit sick; a gang member got caught for a petty crime, but the police found the bodies of a few omegas in his house.

If the guy that had Patrick was caught later or if they didn’t get there in time…that could’ve happened to Patrick.

Pete wrapped an arm around Patrick’s stomach and pulled him back against his chest.

“Pete? You okay?” Patrick looked around them for a sign of a threat but didn’t see anyone other than Gerard and Mikey debating which soda was healthier.

Pete looked down at his boyfriend’s eyes, the omega was so calm…

Pete tightened his arm and kissed his temple, “Just want you close.”

Pete’s voice was unsteady, the fear that he might never have met Patrick clouding his mind.

Patrick didn’t believe that was the only thing bothering his boyfriend, but the alpha didn’t look like he wanted to talk just yet, so he leaned into his chest and tilted his neck as an offering.

The alpha didn’t hesitate, earning a small hum from the omega and a concerned glance from Frank; but he didn’t pull back until they were walking out to the truck again.

 

Back on the road it seemed like Pete had calmed down, so Patrick nudged him gently with his arm, “Petey? What happened?”

Pete looked at his mate for a moment before deciding it was best to tell him the truth, he didn’t necessarily want to lie, but he didn’t want to freak him out either.

“The tv in the gas station was playing the news and it had a story that bothered me.”

“What was it?”

Deep breath, “A guy…was arrested…police found the bodies of a few omegas in his house.” Pete finished softly, almost afraid to say it out loud.

 

Patrick sighed, he knew why it bothered his boyfriend, it bothered him too. But he didn’t know how to help.

“Pete…That didn’t happen to me because you saved me.”

“What if we were late or he didn’t get caught that day? I mean you…you could’ve been…”

“I wasn’t.”

“But—”

“I’m right here. You’ve got me.”

Pete huffed, “Just stay close.” He tightened his arm around Patrick and nuzzled his hair.

 

 

5:17pm  
Los Angeles, California

Frank pulled into the driveway of the new house, letting out a sigh of relief when he finally shut off the engine.

Andy and Joe came out of the house a few moments later, embracing their friends and welcoming them home.

Pete let himself linger in Andy’s arms a bit before being able to pull back.

“I missed you.”

“Welcome home brother.”


	82. Settling In with Sex Toys and Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peterick mostly. <3

Unloading the U-Haul proved to be fairly easy with the seven of them piling everything into the first room of the house.

Nobody had chosen a room yet so everything was just piled up at the bottom of the stairs.

 

“Alright,” Andy started, looking at Gerard, Patrick and Joe, “You three go figure out who gets what room.”

They started going upstairs, Patrick looked back a few times at Pete, he felt weird going anywhere without him.

Even though the alpha was just downstairs, he felt like he missed him.

 

The bedrooms were divided with three on each side of the hallway.

After they walked around the hall upstairs, stopping in each room to decide who gets what they came to the conclusion that Brendon should have the biggest room with Josh and Tyler because there would be more of them sharing the space.

Gerard wanted his room to be next to Mikey’s.

Joe knew that Pete and Andy would want to be next to each other whether they said so or not.

Patrick truly didn’t care which room he had, he just wanted to get settled.

 

Carrying everything upstairs went a lot faster when all they had to do was carry boxes and drop them into whichever room their omegas pointed to.

Pete and Andy went back to the apartment with the U-Haul to get the last of their things, Patrick set out to clean and organize as much as he could until their bed and dressers were brought.

His instincts were telling him to nest.

Something he hadn’t felt or really done since he first got comfortable in the apartment.

 

“Most everything is already at the house. Just the furniture and some small things in your room are all that’s left.”

“Ya know despite the landlord, I am gonna miss this place.” Pete murmured.

 

“I know what you mean. A lot has happened to us here. But at least we’re taking the best parts with us. Memories, mates and contrary to your parents’ belief, we stuck together.”

 

A long moment of silence fell over them as they scanned the apartment one last time.

It was bittersweet really.

Moving on from somewhere that held so many wonderful memories was hard, but Pete was happy to be moving into the next part of his life.

Their new home was bound to have plenty of more memories awaiting them.

And Patrick would be there for all of it. 

 

 

He was in the process of hanging up the last of his and Pete’s clothes when he felt arms wrap around his waist and squeeze him against a hard chest.

“I’m baaack.” Pete said in a sing-song voice.

Patrick smirked, exposing his neck to Pete’s mouth, “Glad your back. Where should our bed go?”

“Wherever you want.”

“You don’t care?”

“Nope. As long as you’re happy with it, its fine by me.” Pete murmured as he sniffed along the omega’s scent gland. “We should get things settled as soon as we can. Your heat is getting closer.”

Patrick tensed slightly at that but nodded, “Bring the bed up, and I’ll figure out where I want it.”

“Yes dear.” The alpha smiled, exiting the room.

 

“Over there.” Patrick pointed and watched as Pete slid their bed frame and mattress into place.

“Here?” The alpha stepped back, looking at his mate for approval before he went to get their dresser and nightstands.

“Yep. Dresser can go over there.” 

Pete nodded, and happily went to follow his mate’s requests.

 

A few hours had gone by while everyone unpacked and organized their things, only stopping to eat dinner.

Patrick had done the most of his and Pete’s room.

Not that the alpha hadn’t offered to help, but with Patrick nesting it was easier to let him go about his business without interruptions.

Pete didn’t mind, he sat on the floor with his bass and watched his mate flit around the room adjusting and moving things whenever something caught his eye.

 

By the time it was 1am Patrick had gotten everything just so and he let himself fall back onto their bed and relax a moment.

He almost let his eyes slip closed when he realized he didn’t want to sleep in a freshly made bed without showering first.

Sighing he took a deep breath and stood, walking towards Pete and grabbing the alpha’s wrist before walking into the bathroom.

“You sure you can stay awake long enough to shower?” Pete asked, though he was already stripping off his clothes.

“We haven’t showered since before we left Chicago. Neither of us are going to bed until we smell better.” Patrick mumbled through a yawn. “Just don’t let me fall.”

 

It was another two days before Patrick felt off.

He knew it was a sign of his heat being close, but he didn’t want to think about that. 

Not when he still hadn’t tried the toys that he and Pete were gonna experiment with.

That was something he knew they would have to figure out before his heat actually hit and took over his mind and body for a week or so.

He told Pete he wanted to try tonight, despite not feeling completely ready for that he wanted to get it over with.

“Do you want me to go it or do you want to try it yourself?” Pete offered gently, knowing that Patrick would probably ask him to do it anyway, but wanting to give the option.

 

“You. I need you to do it.”

 

 

A few hours later and they were in a similar situation to the one they had a few nights ago in Chicago.

Patrick was lying on his back, Pete was three fingers deep in the omega’s hole.

“Trick, are you sure you want to try this?”

“Y-ea-ah…”

“…okay. You can stop this anytime you want. You know that, right?”

“Mmhm.”

Pete stopped his movements, “Words sweetheart.” 

“Yeah-ah. I know. I know you’ll stop anytime I say so.”

“Good.”

Pete moved slowly, spreading lube on the dildo and adding more to the space between Patrick’s legs.

He wanted to give Patrick as much time to back out before they started as he could.

“Ready?”

Patrick opened his eyes, looking at Pete’s worried and hesitant expression.

The alpha looked more nervous than he felt.

“Ready.”

“Alright.” Pete sighed, taking a deep breath and putting the end of the toy against the omega’s hole.

He kept his eyes on Patrick’s face, not wanting to take a chance at missing signs of distress.

Patrick’s breathing had picked up, but he didn’t seem to be panicking yet.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as what either of them had thought.

After all, when it was just Pete’s fingers the omega was calm enough, actually he enjoyed most of it once he got past the initial fear.

But he trusted Pete.

 

Slowly the toy pressed in slightly, Pete stopped after the first inch disappeared.

Patrick was tense, really tense.

He had stretched him more than he did last time, hoping to avoid as much discomfort or pain as he could. He also added a lot more lube this time, he knew that during the omega’s heat he wouldn’t need to because of the slick and naturally contracting and stretching of his muscles, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.

Pete wasn’t sure if he should just stop everything for now, but then Patrick nodded at him, “Okay.”

So he continued pushing the toy in further, stopping every time Patrick made a noise, or tensed up. 

When the toy was fully inside, save for the handle Pete was a hold on, Patrick asked for the alpha’s other hand.

In his mind if he could hold onto one of Pete’s hands, he could keep reminding himself who he was with, he could avoid flashbacks this way. Avoid mental images of his last owner from consuming his mind.

It worked. Patrick didn’t think about that man. But it wasn’t entirely in his control.

Instead his instincts took over, distracting him, making all of his thoughts focus on the alpha’s touches.

Pete was talking to him through the entire process, assuring him he was safe and telling him every move he was making.

It didn’t help his focus when Pete started jerking him off and rubbing the end of the toy against his prostate every time it was pushed in, but it did help his nerves.

 

Time Skip…

 

Two days after they got settled in the house Patrick really started to notice his heat coming.

Small cramp like feelings jabbed at his abdomen and he felt more unsteady and emotional than he had already been feeling.

It had been subtle at first, but it’s definitely stronger than he remembers from his first heat.

Pete had been right about Patrick’s behavior changing before his heat.

He didn’t get rebellious like Brendon, he just got more submissive and cuddlier like Joe had.

He kept finding himself leaning into Pete or squeezing the alphas wrist and nuzzling his neck.

He felt a bit guilty every time he did though, like he was bothering his boyfriend by hanging on him all the time.

Pete had assured him multiple times that this wasn’t true, that he actually enjoyed Patrick’s touches, but he still felt guilty.

And he couldn’t hide it.

Definitely not from Pete.

Every time Patrick realized what he was doing he would pull back slightly, only for his instincts to make him step closer again and push out submissive pheromones.

Pete would push out his own calming scents to try to get the omega to relax a bit, it didn’t work the way he wanted. 

Sometimes it made Patrick’s instincts become even more submissive because his inner omega thought the alpha was upset with him.

During those times Patrick did everything but kneel to make the alpha happy again.

 

Pete really didn’t know what to do, he was used to taking care of omegas before, during and after heats but it was different this time.

His inner alpha was reacting differently to Patrick than he had to the patients at the hospital.

His need and want to protect were amplified and there was a new added feeling of fear and panic that Pete hadn’t felt since the first heat Joe had with him and Andy.

 

Patrick was more afraid of his instincts than his actual heat.

He knew that pain would pass, he was used to pain. In a sick way he supposes he’d rather have the physical pain than go through the emotional volcano emitted by his instincts.

Pete could help with the pain, but the mental stuff he had to figure out how to cope with.

At least that’s what he thought.

Gerard had told him that he just needs to let Pete think for him, the less he tries to focus on the better.

Easier said than done.

 

3am

 

Patrick was awake, staring at the ceiling of his and Pete’s room.

He just couldn’t relax.

The alpha was asleep next to him; he could feel the soft puffs of breath against his face.

He felt like he was laying on a beach, everything felt hot.

He was only wearing a pair of boxers, having kicked off his covers over four hours ago.

When Pete took his temperature earlier it was 102.1.

It was probably higher by now.

He had to cool off or he wasn’t gonna be able to sleep at all.

 

Slowly Patrick slid out of bed, careful not to jostle Pete enough to wake him up.

He slipped into their bathroom, shutting the door softly before turning on the light.

He stopped when he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

His hair was damp and sticking to his head, his face and chest were red and splotchy. There was a layer of sweat covering his entire body. His eyes were dilated to the point where he felt odd looking into the gaze of his reflection.

 

“Fuck.” He whispered to himself, leaning down to splash water on his face.

The cold on his face felt good while it lasted, but it disappeared within seconds.

 

A slight pull from inside him made him remember what Brendon had said, “An alpha’s touch helps.” 

Sighing he went back to their bed, stopping to stare down at the alpha.

 

He really hoped Brendon was right, not just mumbling nonsense brought on by his heat.

Patrick reached down, picking up Pete’s wrist and sliding under his arm, letting it come down to lay heavily across his chest.

To his surprise he did feel a wave of relief, the pain in his abdomen had decreased to the point that he barely noticed it, he felt his heat rate slow down, closer to a normal level.

A sigh of relief fell from his lips as he wiggled closer to his sleeping boyfriend.

The more contact he got, the more the pain alleviated.

Wanting more he continued wiggling and pulling until Pete was practically draped over him like a human blanket.

When his face was close to Pete’s neck, he used his head to nudge the alpha’s chin up before nosing at his scent glands.

The smell coming from the alpha was calm, sweet and gentle scents that made something in Patrick’s mind go fuzzy.

He wasn’t focused on what he was doing anymore, too enveloped in his instincts to care.

Pete felt the kisses and nips at his neck before he registered what they were.

He opened his eyes and realized that his head was tilted way farther back than he remembered. 

He felt Patrick’s soft hair under his chin when he went to look at him.

The smell of the omega’s heat was stronger now, he’d be surprised if it didn’t hit sometime today.

 

Pete wasn’t sure if he should let Patrick know he was awake or if he should just let the omega do as he pleases.

If he moved or said something, Patrick might think he was in trouble or feel guilty for waking him up.

If he pretended to stay asleep, he wouldn’t be able to scent back and help the omega feel better.

Waiting to see how it played out Pete gently exposed his neck more again, smiling at the tingly feeling on his skin.

 

It was almost ten minutes later than Patrick felt relaxed enough to take a break.

He stayed pressed against his boyfriend but pulled his face back slightly from his neck.

When he let himself calm down some, he realized what he did and felt embarrassed.

Pete wasn’t even awake to give him permission to do that.

The alpha always made sure Patrick was okay with something before doing it.

Patrick knew that logically Pete wouldn’t be mad at him, the alpha was never mad at him.

He doesn’t even think he’ll be punished for anything by Pete.

But every instinct in his body told him to apologize and beg for forgiveness.

Too wrapped up in his quilt ridden brain he hadn’t realized he’d started mumbling apologies until he heard Pete’s voice.

“Trick, look at me.”

Patrick tilted his head back to do as he was told and subconsciously let out a whimper accompanied by pheromones smelling of cinnamon and vanilla.

Pete chuckled lightly, “I’m not mad Tricky. You don’t need to butter me up like that.”

 

Patrick was vaguely aware of this of course; he was always submissive, but this was a new level.

There were regular submissive pheromones and then there were submissive pheromones made through evolution of omegas used to cloud an alphas mind when they were upset so they wouldn't take out their anger on their mates.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I already told you before, you can touch or scent or kiss or do whatever you want to me, anytime you want.”

“You weren’t even awake though.”

“Technically you weren’t entirely there either. A lot of this is just your heat.”

“Your scent makes it feel better.”

“I’m glad. Next time you can wake me up, it would feel even better if I scented you back.”

“I didn’t want to bother you.”

“You’re never a bother.”


	83. Heat 2.0

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patrick is in heat. Pete is a cuddly puppy like usual.
> 
> Also there are a lot of jump-cuts in this chapter, sort of. They felt necessary to progress the story along.  
> *  
> For some reason the last few days that I've tried to update i got the message "Archive Story Cannot Be Added to or Changed at this Time." So if anyone knows what that means please let me know.  
> Updates will come about once a week if the website doesn't throw a tantrum.

Andy and Joe walked out of their room and the alpha stopped mid step to turn towards Pete and Patrick’s door.

“Andy? What--“

“Patrick’s in heat.”

Andy rapped his knuckles on the door as he walked into their room. Joe stayed in the hall, knowing how overwhelming it can feel to have a lot of people around during a heat.

 

Patrick was panting and grasping at Pete’s arm, Brendon had been right, an alpha’s touch was taking away the majority of his discomfort.

“Pete.” Andy slowly walked closer to the bed.

His friend looked up at him through tired eyes, “Andy…what if I mess up?”

“You won’t. Remember everything he said before about how and what he was comfortable with, make sure he eats and drinks enough and scent him a lot. I’ll bring up some breakfast soon. If you need help let me know.”

“Thanks.”

 

“Pete…please…” The omega whined; he was past being in a conscious state. 

Pete doubts whether or not Patrick even realizes what was happening anymore.

“Shh, shh, I’m here.” The alpha was petting and massaging wherever he could reach, hoping to ease his boyfriend’s discomfort some.

“…Pee-te….” Patrick hiccupped, he wasn’t crying but a sob like noise jolted its way through his body.

“Trick, I’m right here.” Pete spoke as firmly, and clearly as he could.

His training wasn’t as useful as he remembered it being with Joe.

This was different. 

This was Pete’s boyfriend.

Pete’s future mate.

He wanted nothing more than to take care of him the way an alpha is meant to care for their omega.

But he wouldn’t let himself do that.

He had to protect Patrick before anything else.

He logically knew that they aren’t in any physical danger, but Patrick’s mind was a danger itself.

The last thing he wanted was for Patrick to have flashbacks or hallucinations again.

 

“Pete…please…”

Pete had hoped that he could put off too much sexual contact for the time being, at least until the omega ate or drank something. He didn’t want him to dehydrate, that would give them more problems than they needed right now.

“It h-hurts…”

“I know. It’ll feel better soon.” Pete felt horrible for putting off what he knew Patrick wanted, needed and was actually okay with happening, but he knew it was for the best.

Remembering what he had done when Joe had his first heat with them, bribing him with scenting so he would eat; he decided that bribing Patrick with sex to get him to eat would be his best option.

“Trick?”

No response.

“Tricky?” Pete shook his shoulder lightly until the omega gazed unfocused at him through tear and sweat soaked vision.

“I want you to eat and drink something when Andy brings up breakfast. After you do that, I can make you feel a lot better.”

“…no-ot hu-unngry…”

“You need to keep your strength up as much as possible, food will give you some energy and make you feel less exhausted. A lot of your discomfort will go away.” Pete said this more to himself, assuring his own mind that this was the right thing to do; Patrick was focusing on his words anyway.

“Petey pl-ease…sc-ent…”

“Only until Andy comes back, then you eat.”

Patrick nodded enthusiastically at that, finally getting something, he wanted.

As soon as Pete lowered his face towards the omega’s neck a wave of submissive pheromones crashed against him. The same enticing scent Patrick released in the middle of the night. 

Pete’s inner alpha had a hard time focusing, the scent was doing its job of clouding the alpha’s thought process, all he wanted to do was please his omega.

Pete was stronger though, his training and desire to protect his future mate being the only clear thought in his head.

After twenty minutes of consistent scenting and kisses, Patrick was whining more, but his breathing was more settled because of the alpha pheromones spreading a calmness over the air around him.

 

A knock at the door made Pete pull back and sit up, tossing a sheet over Patrick’s lap.

The omega whimpered at the loss of touch but flinched when Andy walked in with a tray of two plates, glasses of orange juice and a bag of chilled bottles of water.

“How is he?” Andy walked over to the bed, handing Pete’ the tray and smiling gently down at Patrick.

“Not too bad right now.” Pete responded tentatively, watching as Patrick slowly rolled closer to him and buried his face into Pete’s pillow.

Andy leaned forward, kissing Pete’s forehead and ruffling his hair, “Don’t forget to take care of yourself too.”

“Yes alpha.” Pete smirked and watched his friend leave before turning back to Patrick with a plate.

“Trick, time to eat.”

“…peteee…”

“C’mon sweetheart, sit up.” Pete gently guided Patrick into a half sitting position, tucked under his shoulder.

Holding a forkful of eggs up to the omega’s mouth, “Open.”

No response but a low groan was heard.

“Trick, if you eat and drink all your meal, I’ll make you feel better. I’ll suck you off or we can use the toys…but you have to eat first.”

Patrick was quiet, for a moment Pete thought maybe he hadn’t heard him or didn’t fully focus enough to understand his words, but then the omega opened his mouth for the food, not bothering to lift his head off of Pete’s shoulder or take the fork himself.

Pete continued to feed him, taking a bite for himself while Patrick was chewing.

It only took fifteen minutes for both of their plates and glasses to be emptied and for Patrick to turn and look at Pete expectantly.

“Pete…please…”

Pete gently pushed Patrick to lay down again, smiling to himself at how much more at ease Patrick was now that he wasn’t functioning on an empty stomach.

The alpha didn’t waste any time nudging the omega’s legs apart and lying between them, swiftly taking his cock into his mouth and moving up and down quickly.

In a normal situation, he would try to drag this out, but being in heat meant that the omega would be hard again within an hour or so. He doesn’t want exhaust him to early, it would just be uncomfortable and painful later.

Less than five minutes of bobbing his head and Patrick came deep into Pete’s throat.

When Pete looked up at his boyfriend, he was relieved to see that Patrick was looking more aware now.

“Trick?”

“Tired…”

“Go to sleep, you need as much rest as possible.”

“…you too…”

Pete smiled at that, “Yeah, me too. I’ll be right here.” He let himself fall onto the bed, as close to Patrick as he could be without actually covering him too much.

Thankfully an hour and a half later, both Pete and Patrick were still sound asleep when Andy checked on them.

 

“How are they?” Joe asked when Andy came back downstairs.

“Asleep. Hopefully they’ll stay that way a while longer.”

“Can I do anything?”

“Stay home today. While I’m at work, you’ll need to take them lunch. Even though Frank and Pete get along good I don’t want to take any chances of another alpha going in there. Gee has Frank’s scent on him.”

“Are you worried about how Patrick will react or Pete?”

“Both, but mostly Patrick. Pete knows how to control himself; Patrick might panic being around another alpha, especially during his heat.”

“How did he react to you?”

“He didn’t seem to notice, probably because my scent has always been on Pete.”

“Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Make something simple but enough to give them some strength, sandwiches will do. For drinks give them something with electrolytes, like Gatorade or juice. And take up some water bottles to leave in the room. Just knock before you walk in, hand Pete the tray and do whatever he says. Patrick isn’t used to his heat yet, so don’t touch him, it might overwhelm him. And don’t stay in there too long.”

“Got it.”

“Alright, I’ll be home in a few hours.” Andy leaned in to kiss his mate. “And I promise, after Patrick’s heat is over, you and I will spend that weekend in bed that I promised you.” He winked.

“I’m gonna hold you to that.”

 

 

Joe took a deep breath before he knocked on Pete and Patrick’s door.

Walking in he saw Patrick curled up under a sheet, face pressed into Pete’s side. The alpha was sitting up halfway against the headboard, and despite the sleep he got earlier, he looked tired.

Joe did as Andy said, handing Pete the tray of food, a nervous edge shooting up his spine. 

Pete seemed to notice, smiling gently at his friend, “It’s okay Joe. And thanks for this.”

“How is he?” Joe whispered, he didn’t know why he was nervous, but he felt like he was intruding.

“Ya know how your heat has two easier days, then three bad ones and then it gets easier again until it ends? Well his seems to be fluctuating like that, but by the hour.”

“Sorry to hear that...Need anything else?”

“When Andy comes home, ask him to call Dr. Woods for me, let him know that Patrick got his heat.”

“You got it.”

 

Four Hours Later

Pete had sucked off his boyfriend a total of six times. He stopped swallowing after the third because he started to get a stomachache.

It started out the same each time, strong waves of heat consuming his mind and body, only subdued by Pete’s touches and scent.

After an orgasm hit him, he would feel slightly better for a short time.

Turns out they were right about this heat being a reset of his biology.

His body was fluctuating between relative comfortability or as comfortable as a person could be in heat and full on writhing on the bed begging for Pete to touch him.

 

2am

Patrick had woken up to a thudding pain in his abdomen and more slick than he ever remembered having gushing out of him. Something he definitely remembers from his first heat, but not the rest.

It was like his hole and everything around it had its own heartbeat.

Frantically he looked around the room, for what he didn’t know, this was both the worst pain he’s felt since his heat hit and the most lucid he’s been.

His eyes landed on Pete, sleeping soundly next to him, waking him up would be rude, but Pete had told him to wake him up if he needed him, but the alpha needed his rest too, Pete didn’t normally sleep much to begin with because of his insomnia. If he’s sleeping this much now, he must really need it.

The pain didn’t let up, and every few seconds it actually felt like it was getting worse.

A new wave of heat came over him, why couldn’t this be the time that he was out of it, he doesn’t remember much of what happened yesterday, but he doesn’t think he was in this much pain. 

He’d rather not remember what was happening now.

Another jolt of pain shot up his spine and it put him over the edge. He’ll apologize later, right now he needs help.

“Pete. Pete wake up.” He shook the alpha’s shoulder roughly.

The alpha shot up onto his elbows quickly, “Trick?”

“Pete it hurts. Really bad, not like before.”

“Where?” Pete was on high alert now, not just because Patrick said something hurt, but because Patrick hadn’t sounded so cognizant until now.

Talking was getting harder so instead of explaining he just grabbed Pete’s hand and brushed over the places he felt the pain.

For the brief contact of Pete’s skin touching his, the area subsided slightly, but regenerated as soon as the touch was gone.

“Alright Trick,” Pete let out a sigh of relief, “It’s your muscles contracting. Your body is stretching itself to make it easier to take an alpha’s knot.”

“How long does it last?”

Pete winced, “In a regular cycle it will subside when it gets to where your body thinks it needs to be, but so far your heat hasn’t exactly been by the book.”

“Can you do anything?” Patrick whined.

“The toys will help. And the slick your producing is keeping your muscles from getting tense.”

“Doesn’t feel like it.”

“It would be a lot worse without the slick.”

“I just want the pain to go away.” The omega was practically sobbing at this point.

“I can give you some pain meds, but with your heat they might not do much.”

“Do anything…please…”

 

Pete got some pain medicine from the bathroom and when he got back into bed, he completely covered Patrick, laying right on top of him.

Patrick instantly felt a wave of relief and hugged and pulled Pete impossibly closer, “Scent.” Was all he said before throwing his head to the side to give Pete access.

The alpha didn’t bother trying to hold his weight up on his own, Patrick didn’t seem to mind, he actually seemed to be encouraging it.

Patrick did feel relief, he still felt a throbbing pain, but it was way less than it had been.

 

“Pete…need more…” Patrick had started panting again, his awareness thankfully slipping slightly.

“You want to try toys?”

Pete didn’t have to look at Patrick to know he was up for it. The omega had spread his legs and arched up into Pete’s chest.

 

What started as something to help Patrick’s pain turned into something more involved.

Pete didn’t need to stretch Patrick himself, but he still took the time to massage the pulsating ring of muscle with his fingers to ease some of the discomfort.

When he finally put the toy in, he realized, with great interest, that Patrick’s muscles were contracting around the toy instead of stretching further outward.

Patrick seemed to notice too, despite being mostly unaware of what was happening, he hummed and let out a sigh of relief after a few minutes of his body adjusting to the size of the toy.

 

If Patrick had stayed more conscious of what was happening, he might’ve panicked at the feeling of something being thrusted in and out of him.

But he knew Pete was there.

Pete’s scent smelled calm.

So, he didn’t have any reason not to let go and fall into whatever headspace was reserved for heats.

 

He resorted to doing exactly what he had been afraid of, and Pete knew that if Patrick were aware of what he was saying he would be scared or embarrassed or both.

His pleads for affection ranged from “Please kiss me” to “ungh harder” and “please peteee…please”. 

It wasn’t until he heard the omega say “Alpha please…I need to…please…”

 

Patrick calling him alpha gave Pete a weird feeling.

He didn’t like it.

Most alphas probably would, it might ignite some sort of primal instinct to mate when they hear it.

But for Pete, for Pete it was anxiety and fear inducing.

Patrick had only ever called him ‘alpha’ when he was scared and thought he was in trouble.

 

Pete slowed the thrusting of the toy to a stop, and gently cupped the omega’s face, “Trick? Patrick, I need you to talk to me for a minute.”

It took a while before Patrick came out of his headspace from lack of stimulation.

“Petey?”

At the sound of the nickname Pete huffed out a laugh, “You called me alpha.”

Patrick flinched, a clear sign he wasn’t aware and hadn’t meant to.

“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t having a panic attack or flashback or something.”

 

Patrick felt an air of calmness settle around him.

He really trusts Pete.

He knew he could before, but this took away a lot of the fear he had about being vulnerable.

 

Patrick went to sit up to pull Pete into a hug but stopped suddenly and fell back with an obscene moan.

He had forgotten that Pete still had a hold of a dildo and that it was still buried deep inside him.

Panting he said, “Pete…please…please move…”

 

“Oh sorry.” Pete said sheepishly, smiling at his boyfriend as he gave the toy another push.

The moan and the way Patrick arched his back when the toy brushed against his prostate was enough for Pete to refocus himself.

 

 

It was another hour when Andy poked his head into the room to check on his friends.

Smirking and shaking his head he pulled a sheet over the lower half of their bodies. 

Pete wouldn’t mind Andy seeing him naked, but Patrick was shy about these things.

As quietly as he could Andy exited the room, careful not to make any noise.

“They asleep?” Joe asked when Andy came back into their room.

“Yeah, but this time it seems like they got some things figured out before they fell asleep.” 😉

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are some other things happening in my life right now:(Only if you're interested, don't feel compelled to read if you don't want to.)  
> Tickets for Fall Out Boy, Green Day and Weezer's Hella Mega Tour went on sale today! (I skipped class to buy them.)  
> Also Twenty One Pilots are still on tour! (I'm seeing them next month by myself because it is easier to go alone than it is to explain that Trench is not about WWII to people outside the clique. *Yes, that is a real conversation I had.)  
> And finally today at a red light a police officer was pulled up beside me and laughed at me singing along to MCR's I'm Not Okay. (I only saw him because when the song ended he laughed obnoxiously and gave me a sarcastic thumbs up.)


	84. Mine

The rest of the day and most of the night was full of repeating orgasms and naps.

It was around 7pm that Pete noticed his rut starting, a clear sign that his biological cycle was syncing with Patrick’s.

By this point Patrick was so far into a subspace of ecstasy and heat that he didn’t seem to notice.

Pete was thankful for this, it meant that the omega was less likely to get overwhelmed by Pete’s constant scenting and nipping.

Which happened more than he initially planned.

Patrick’s neck was sniffed, licked, bit and sucked for hours on end in an attempt to bury him in his scent.

In heat the omega’s instincts relished in the alpha’s constant attention and the alpha being granted unlimited access and permission to let his instincts go a bit.

Pete only made it a point to avoid actually crossing any lines, he didn’t actually fuck Patrick, not with his own knot, instead he settled for using the toy on him, jerking them both off and grinding against each other.

By the time their blissed out state had worn them out enough to sleep his rut was in full swing, Patrick’s heat was placated for the time being and his neck was a deep purple covered in drool and sweat.

 

Patrick woke up, feeling Pete’s arms coiled around him like a snake, squeezing tighter with every twitch he made and set firmly in place.

Despite the pressure enveloping him, he felt calm.

And that feeling of something not there to be noticed returned.

He didn’t feel like he did yesterday.

He didn’t feel hot.

There was not pain between his legs, just a sticky, damp that was under them on the sheets.

He didn’t feel like he was in heat.

But he didn’t know why.

He thought this one would be worse because of his “biological clock resetting”, but it had ended after only a couple of days.

Thinking to himself he realized that his mind wasn’t clouded by heat anymore.

He wasn’t panting and writhing at the thought of Pete’s knot.

Maybe the resetting meant it was over sooner?

Not that he was complaining, he had, despite having multiple orgasms, been in a great deal of discomfort.

Seeing as though he didn’t have a fever or in pain he decided now would be a good time to shower.

They hadn’t since before he went into heat.

He knew it would be pointless to shower or bath during a cycle, it never worked, never got the sticky residue of slick or cum off. It was easier to wait out the heat.

 

Getting out of bed would be its own challenge.

Pete’s arms were live vices, unmoving and flexed the point of tension.

He felt the soft puffs of breath on his ear and the slimy droll on his neck, in another situation he’d probably be annoyed, but right now it didn’t occur to him to mind.

 

Patrick started slowly, gently massaging the alpha’s arms to loosen the muscles enough that he could untangle himself.

It was a slow process, mostly due to Patrick not wanting to wake his boyfriend up.

 

Walking into the bathroom he huffed at his reflection, trying to remember what had happened that led to the marks covering his neck and chest.

A paint splatter of hickeys that he didn’t recall getting looked like a homemade connect the dots.

Patrick really didn’t remember much of anything.

As he felt the hot beads of water hitting his skin he racked his mind for any trace of knowledge about what happened.

The last thing he remembered was waking Pete up the night before last.

He doesn’t think they had sex…they had discussed that for days and days before his heat actually came, he knows Pete wouldn’t hurt him or cross that boundary, but he did feel a soft ache in his ass that made him think something had happened.

He’ll have to ask Pete later, for now he’ll just chalk it up to being sore from the contractions of his muscles.

Despite his concern he couldn’t get past the fact that he wasn’t opposed to the idea of sex with Pete.

It didn’t scare him like it had before his heat.

Now it was more of a curiosity, the idea of sex wasn’t that far out of reach. He wasn’t necessarily ready for a regular sex life, but he wanted to be able to try with Pete.

If only they had gotten there sooner, then they could’ve mated during his heat.

He wasn’t in a hurry to get it over with, but he really wanted to belong to Pete.

In more than just boyfriend and boyfriend or omega and alpha. Legally he was Pete’s property, but neither of them acknowledged that factor.

He wanted to be mates.

He just hoped he really was thinking clearly, and that this wasn’t some kind of heat residue left over in his mind.

Looking at himself in the mirror one more time he sighed in content at the idea of belonging to Pete.

 

Walking back into their room he saw Pete in virtually the same place he left him, his arms squeezing the pillow Patrick had used to divert the alpha from noticing the lack of presence beside him.

Instead of crawling back into the soiled bed with his boyfriend he grabbed a book and curled up in a chair by the window.

 

Almost two hours had passed when Andy poked his head into the room, a look a shock and worry crossing his face before turning to confusion when he noticed Patrick’s presence.

“Patrick?” Andy stepped slightly closer, confused as to why Patrick was dressed and seemingly back to his ‘normal’ state of mind.

“Morning Andy.”

“You’re…up?”

Patrick nodded, “A couple hours now. I don’t know what happened, but…I think it’s over.”

Andy walked up to the omega with more confidence now, and placed a hand on his forehead, “No fever?”

Patrick shook his head under the alpha’s hand, “No. I don’t feel any heat symptoms.”

“Hmm.” Andy looked over his shoulder at Pete. “I’ll call Dr. Woods, see what he has to say about this. Don’t leave the room yet though. Me or Joe will bring up some breakfast soon.”

Patrick was nervous now, Andy looked worried, but he nodded slowly, “okay.”

 

Joe walked in like he had the first time, though Andy had told him about Patrick seemingly done with his heat he wasn’t supposed to stay very long, just in case it was some kind of anomaly or set back, he didn’t want to get caught in the way.

“Hey Joe.”

“Hey, how do ya feel?”

Patrick shrugged, “I’m not in pain, and I don’t…don’t feel like I’m in heat.”

“Here,” Joe handed him a plate, “Eat. You need to refuel and ya know…just in case it’s not really over.”

“Did Andy call my doctor yet?” Patrick asked, obeying his friends wishes and digging into his food.

“He is now.”

Patrick nodded, “How, how have you been?”

“Good. B, Ty and Josh got back last night.”

“I’m glad, I missed him.”

“Andy says nobody else is allowed in here until after your heat is really over, I’m not even supposed to be in here this long.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Yeah but,” Joe glanced over at Pete’s sleeping form, “Its kind of dangerous, ya know, to be near an alpha in rut while his omega is in heat.”

Patrick looked over too, “I didn’t know he was in rut.”

“That’s understandable, you were pretty distracted. But I think you guys synced up last night. He wasn’t in rut yesterday.”

“How can you tell he is today?”

“You can’t smell him?”

“No, he smells like a mix of me and him and heat and sex…”

“Well, trust me it’s noticeable. I should’ve left by now.” 

“Pete wouldn’t mind. I thought you guys scented before during ruts and heats?”

“We have, but being scent drunk on someone you imprint on takes it to another level.”

Patrick was quiet for a moment, deciding it to be best to get another perspective on his thoughts from the shower, “Can I ask you a…kinda personal question?”

“Course.”

“How did…how did you know when you were ready to have sex with Andy?” Patrick’s ears felt like they were on fire, and this time he knew for sure it was nothing to do with his heat.

“Hmm, I guess when I realized Andy makes me feel safe--physically and emotionally. And I really wanted to, like no because of heat.” Joe said carefully, “And, mostly my feelings about myself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, before Andy and I got into a committed relationship, I never wanted sex. I was afraid of it because my only exposure to it was when some creep tried to rape me. But after a while of friendship, then our relationship, imprinting on each other, I got more comfortable with letting someone else be close. I wanted it to happen. We talked about it a lot. Andy wouldn’t let us have sex until I was comfortable talking about it with him.”

“Ha, I don’t think I’ll ever be comfortable talking about it.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself. Besides, Pete won’t judge you, for anything you say. Once you’re comfortable saying what you are and aren’t okay with, or what you want, it’ll be easier to relax.”

Patrick sighed, “You’re probably right.”

“Course I am. Have you mentioned this to Pete?”

“Not yet. He’s been asleep since I woke up.”

“Well, at least it doesn’t sound like your heat talking.”

“Yeah, speaking of…Joe…I don’t remember much of what happened the last couple days.”

“You’ve been through a lot, sometimes, the higher your brain chemicals get, ya know the more blissed out you are the less likely you are to remember. It’s not always bad to forget.”

“Yeah I guess…”

 

“Joe.” Andy’s voice cut into the room, a warning tone that had Joe scurrying past him mumbling apologies.

 

Patrick stopped mid bite and watched as Andy shut the door behind him and came further into the room.

“What’d the doctor say?”

“He’s gonna come by later and check on you. Until he gives you the clear you need to stay put though.”

“It’s not normal is it?”

“No. But, at least you’re not in any pain. He just wants to check your vitals, nothing to be afraid of.”

Despite Andy’s words Patrick got nervous, not for the checkup, but for Pete. “What if…I mean…I don’t want them to fight.”

Andy smiled gently, “With your permission I’ll stay too, make sure Pete keeps his temper down.”

Patrick nodded in relief, “Thanks.”

“….Trick….” Came out muffled from across the room, Pete was stretching his arm out, feeling around for Patrick with his eyes closed.

Patrick moved quickly, sitting on the edge of the bed, “Petey.” He said, taking the alpha’s hand and holding it against the side of his face. “I’m here.”

“Patrick…what…” Pete opened his eyes, sitting up quickly when he realized Patrick was sitting upright, and clothed.

It took him a moment to realize that Patrick wasn’t whining or panting anymore, but when he did, he grabbed the omega’s wrist and pulled him closer, “Trick?”

“I’m okay Pete.” He said when the alpha grabbed his face roughly and tilted his head in different directions to look closer at him. 

Pete pulled his head to his own face and sniffed at him, much like he had when he first noticed the scent of heat on his boyfriend.

“Petey.” Patrick whined, struggling against the alpha’s hold.

“Why aren’t you…”

“I don’t know. When I woke up this morning I was back to normal.”

Pete tilted his head to the side and pressed his nose into the omega’s scent gland.

Patrick stopped squirming and let Pete adjust him however he pleased.

 

Andy had stayed towards the side of the room, quiet and observed his friend’s interactions.

When Pete finally noticed his presence, he flinched at first, tightening his hold on Patrick until he recognized the figure as Andy.

“Dr. Woods is coming by later to check on Patrick.”

Pete growled at that, not at Andy, at what he said.

“It’s okay.” Patrick tried, using his own hands to turn Pete’s attention back to him.

Pete’s eyes were blown out, the pupils dilated so far that it was hard to see the whiskey colored iris that Patrick loved to find specs of gold in.

“I don’t want anyone near you.” Pete’s voice was calmer now, but it was still a low growl.

“He won’t hurt me.”

“His scent will get on you.”

“IF it does, you can do whatever you want to cover it up and make me smell like you again.”

Pete seemed fractionally appeased by this, sliding his hands down to Patrick’s waist and shifting so the omega was nestled in his lap. "You are mine."

"Yeah, I'm yours."

Pete continued mumbling 'mine' against his chest as Patrick continued talking.

“Petey, will you do something for me?”

“Anything.”

“Shower? I took one this morning, then I can change our sheets?”

“Fine. But you’re coming in with me.” Pete huffed.

“Deal.”

Pete did stand up, never letting go of Patrick, turning to Andy, “What time?”

Andy shook his head and smirked as he made his way to the door, “Two hours, make sure you’ve got some clothes on by then.”

Pete grumbled again, letting Patrick have free wrists to pull the sheets off the bed while he hugged him from behind.

It wasn’t easy maneuvering around the room with Pete hanging on him, but he managed to throw their dirty sheets into a hamper and pull some clean ones from a cupboard before making their way to the bathroom.

“I know you already showered but…” Pete gestured as he held onto Patrick’s wrist again.

“Okay.” Patrick said softly, pulling off his clothes and laying them on the counter, they weren’t dirty yet, he could put them on again when they were done.

Patrick made it a point to stand farther from the water, making Pete stand directly under it. The alpha was the one who needed it afterall.

The alpha hadn’t stopped looking at him, hadn’t moved to actually shower either.

Patrick stepped closer, using his hands to massage the alpha’s arms like Pete had done for him so many times.

It didn’t take long to wash his boyfriend; it was easier and also more awkward without Pete talking or moving.

It was like the alpha was in some kind of trance, staring straight at Patrick, unwavering and barely blinking.

Patrick tried to make small talk, telling him about the book he read earlier, asking him about music, but he didn’t get any answers, just hums and grunts in response.

Washing Pete’s hair gave him an opportunity to get his boyfriends attention.

He ran his soapy fingers through the back of his hair and pulled down until Pete’s forehead rested against his own.

“Kiss me.”

Pete didn’t hesitate to obey him then, only reassuring Patrick that he was listening and could still focus on his voice to pay attention.

Pulling apart, Pete let out a whine but stayed where Patrick put him, returning to his trance like state.

“If you don’t start talking, I’m gonna have the doctor examine you instead.”

No answer.

“Please say something…You’re scaring me. I’m not used to you being this quiet.” After a moment of silence, he continued again, “Pete, I really need you to say something. Anything at all.,, I know you can hear me.”

No answer.

Patrick was getting seriously worried now, “Petey please…” His voice was shaking slightly.

It seemed to be enough to cut through whatever haze the alpha was in, “I’m sorry.” Pete whispered.

“What?”

“I’m…I’m sorry. It’s just…. really hard to…to stay in control. I’m not ignoring you…promise…I just…I don’t want to loose control and…hurt you…”

“I don’t---Joe told me you’re in rut. Is that what you’re talking about?”

Pete nodded stiffly.

“What can I do? To help?”

“Patrick I don’t…”

“You’ve always helped me…it’s my turn. Now what can I do?”

Pete went quiet again, biting his lip like he wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if he should.

“Petey, I don’t…I don’t know much about ruts.”

When Pete started nosing at his wrist he decided to just talk until the alpha either said something or noticed the water turning cold.

“Joe told me once that you and Andy would scent him during your ruts. You know I’m fine with that. You can scent me anytime you want to. And…when your mind is a bit clearer there’s something else I want us to talk about.”

Pete took Patrick’s words as an invitation to pull him closer and bury his face in his neck.

The alpha would get rougher, squeezing him tightly, realize what he was doing and pull back only to give into his instincts again and repeat the cycle.

The water had eventually gone cold, Patrick of course noticed first and shifted them, so he was getting most of it. He had flinched slightly at the contact, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle, or hadn’t felt before.

Pete on the other hand remained unaware, unfocused on anything but Patrick.

He had the omega pushed against the shower wall, squished tightly between the alpha’s chest and the tiles.

Patrick didn’t struggle, he just exposed his neck as much as he could and pushed out as many submissive pheromones as he could.

Pete hadn’t settled down until Patrick’s neck was as scented and colorful on the other side.

When he pulled back to admire his work, he seemed to have a moment of clarity because he spun on his heel and shut the water off in one quick motion.

“Jesus, why didn’t you stop me?”

Patrick just shrugged in response.

Pete nipped at his chin once more and stepped out, offering a hand to his boyfriend “Come.”


	85. Biology

Seeing Pete in rut was both amusing and a bit unsettling.

He had never seen an alpha in rut before, at least not that he remembered. He’s sure his last owner had probably gone into rut plenty of times, but he never knew it because his behavior never changed, he was always aggressive and mean.

Pete was different though; he was more affectionate and more territorial now.

He had on a pair of loose sweatpants, or rather Patrick dressed him that way. The alpha whined and the fabric touching his cock, it was probably uncomfortable and annoying, but he didn’t think Dr. Woods needed to see his alpha naked.

Patrick had put a fresh sheets and blankets on their bed, a new nest, only to have Pete push him down on it and rub their scents all over.

That was something Patrick found amusing, he wondered if this is similar to what he had been like in heat.

Patrick didn’t fight any of it, just let himself be moved and adjusted or sniffed as Pete wanted. He enjoyed most of it anyway.

The only thing he found trouble settling with was the difference in his eyes and his quiet demeanor.

Pete was never this quiet, it was like he didn’t know he wasn’t talking though. Sometimes he would tilt his head like he was thinking and then look at Patrick for a response as if he thought he said something out loud.

Patrick was still catching himself both staring and looking quickly away from Pete’s eyes.

They were unsettling, most of the time looking like some wild animal that wanted to eat him. They didn’t look aggressive, but they looked hungry, Patrick knew he wanted something, but he had no idea what to do about it.

It took almost a half hour to convince Pete to eat a plate of food.

That discussion ended with Patrick blushing profusely and agreeing to Pete’s stipulation of “If I eat the food can I eat you out later?”

 

An hour had passed, and they were laying on the bed, Pete pinning Patrick down with his weight as he marked up his neck some more. Patrick had just let him, playing with the alpha’s hair and stroking his back. 

A knock on their door made Pete growl and place a sharp bite on Patrick’s neck.

The omega arched into the touch on instinct, pushing out submissive pheromones to make Pete calm down.

Andy walked in a minute later, not hesitating to approach them.

 

“Dr. Woods is downstairs.”

Patrick nodded but Pete growled again.

“Pete.” Andy said in the same warning tone that he used on Joe earlier.

The alpha just huffed from his place in Patrick’s neck and grumbled.

“Petey, he just wants to see if I’m okay.”

“Mine.”

“Yes yours. He isn’t trying to take me away he just wants to make sure I’m healthy.”

No answer.

 

“Pete, this is for Patrick’s own good. If you don’t let Dr. Woods examine him then I’ll drag you out of here myself and you won’t be allowed back in until the exam is over.”

Pete whimpered at that but pulled himself into a sitting position against the headboard, then trapped Patrick between his legs, hugging him against his chest. “Mine.”

Andy rolled his eyes and went to open their door.

Dr. Woods stayed at the far side of the room at first, “Hello, Patrick, Pete.”

“Hi, Dr. Woods.” Patrick replied softly.

Pete growled in response and tightened his arms around his boyfriend.

Both the doctor and Andy seemed unsurprised as they walked further into the room.

“Well they definitely imprinted on each other. How long has Pete been in rut?” The doctor was speaking directly to Andy now.

“Last night.”

“Was that when Patrick’s heat was most intense?”

“All of yesterday was intense. He doesn’t remember any of it.”

Patrick figured Joe must’ve told him that.

“Well, Pete, I just need to do a few tests, make sure Patrick is healthy…is that alright?”

Pete didn’t answer, just glared at the doctor from behind Patrick’s shoulder.

“Pete. I wasn’t bluffing when I said I’d drag you out of here.” Andy warned again, stepping beside them.

“I’m okay Pete. Really.” Patrick tried. He didn’t want Pete to have to go.

Slowly the alpha nodded, releasing his grip on Patrick and glaring at the doctor again.

Patrick slid forward on the bed until he was sitting at the end, close enough that he could reach behind him and touch Pete’s leg, but far enough Pete would be stopped by Andy if he tried to attack the doctor.

Andy put a hand in Pete’s hair, “It won’t take long.”

Pete whined.

Andy just pet him in an attempt to sooth, though it didn’t seem to be working.

As soon as the doctor made a move towards Patrick, a growl ripped out of the alpha’s throat.

Andy responded instantly, grabbing the scruff of Pete’s neck and pulling his head back until he made eye contact.

Patrick flinched and looked away, he knew Andy wasn’t truly hurting Pete, but he didn’t like to think about it.

To the surprise of Dr. Woods, Pete didn’t fight him, didn’t growl or argue, he just stared up at Andy, then let out a submissive whine.

The friends stared at each other for a moment, Patrick was almost convinced they might be telepathic.

“…Andy…you stay with Patrick?”

Andy smiled, at least Pete was somewhat coherent, “Promise. Would you feel better about this if you were holding him? I just don’t want you trying to attack the doctor.” 

Pete nodded quickly, his rut making it hard to focus on anything, but he knew Patrick’s touch would calm him. 

With Andy controlling the room he feels better about letting his boyfriend get checked, and he’d be less likely to attack Dr. Woods for touching him.

After Andy let him go, he slid forward and snaked his arms around his boyfriend, pulling him against his chest again.

Andy walked along the bed to stand beside his friends, keeping his eyes locked with Pete’s.

Patrick seemed to catch on, exposing his neck to Pete, making the alpha lunge forward. He pressed his nose into the omega’s neck and squeezed him tightly like he had been doing all morning.

“Remember to be gentle Pete.” Andy warned again. The last thing they needed was Pete forgetting his strength and cracking Patrick’s ribs.

The omega grunted at the pressure around his stomach and chuckled, tapping lightly at the alpha’s arm, “Don’t crush me.”

“Sorry.” Pete whispered, obeying and loosening his grip slightly, nosing at Patrick’s throat while he stared at the floor.

Andy took this as a good sign, moving to stand closer to the doctor, never taking his eyes off Pete, “Go ahead Dr.”

 

Dr. Woods was used to being around alphas in rut, so he wasn’t really phased by Pete’s behavior, just wary.

He definitely didn’t want to be on the receiving end of any angry outbursts.

 

Examining Patrick, he made sure to only make contact when absolutely necessary and spoke only to Andy. He figured the less of his attention that lingered on Patrick, the less Pete would react.

He was right, but every time the doctor did make contact with Patrick, Pete squeezed him tighter and grumbled from his view over the omega’s shoulder.

It wasn’t until the doctor started feeling the scent glands on Patrick’s neck that Pete got really close to snapping.

His knuckles turned white as he squeezed until the omega hit his shoulder with more force than he normally would exert towards anyone. “Ease up Pete.”

Pete obeyed instantly, his arms dangling by his sides as Patrick rubbed his side.

“Trick?” Andy asked, a worried tone laced in his words.

“I’m okay.” He answered calmly, he wasn’t hurt, he wasn’t actually in much pain at all, Pete had just started to squeeze him too tight.

“Shit…sorry…I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean…I’m sorry I should’ve been paying more attention to you.” 

Turning his attention to his alpha, “Andy…man I’m really really sorry. I shouldn’t have lost control like that. It shouldn’t have happened. It won’t happen again. I promise.”

Andy knew Pete was afraid he would make good on his threat and drag him out of the room, but in truth that would be more work than just calming Pete down.

This was the first time Pete seemed truly aware of himself, so Andy smiled gently, “It’s okay.”

“I’m really not hurt.” Patrick tried, readjusting himself in his boyfriend’s lap.

Pete didn’t reach up to put his arms around him, despite his instincts screaming at him to enjoy whatever physical contact he was getting.

Pete sighed, looking down at his hands to try and keep himself from slipping into his alpha headspace of being in rut again. 

He had almost hurt Patrick, that was not something he ever wanted to happen.

“C’mon, cuddle me until this is done, it’ll help you. And besides, I don’t want this thing coming between us.” Patrick tried again, pulling Pete’s upper body closer in a hug and kissing his temple.

 

Andy sighed and turned back to the doctor.

“Has he been eating regularly?”

“Yes. Three meals a day. Pete too.”

“Good. Has he taken any medicine since his heat started?”

Andy looked over at Patrick for the answer but all he got was an unsure shrug, he truly didn’t remember.

Tapping on his friend’s chin, “Pete, has Patrick had any medicine since his heat started?”

Pulling back from his neck slightly, he glared at the doctor again before looking back to Andy, “One dose of painkillers, two nights ago.”

 

“Alright, has he been sick at all?”

“No.” Pete answered this time, still with his nose buried in Patrick’s neck, his arms tight around his boyfriend, but now he was more aware, he was being extra sure to be gentle, rubbing small circles on his sides.

 

A few more questions, some blood pressure and breathing tests and listening to Patrick’s heart and they were finished. 

Andy had answered most of the questions, occasionally Pete gave short remarks or small one-word answers. 

Patrick tried his best to calm his boyfriend, keeping one hand on the alpha’s leg while he pushed out submissive pheromones.

It seemed to work after a while, Pete had come more into himself, still in rut, just not acting on pure instinct anymore. He got back some of his control that he had been trained to use.

Pete mumbled more apologies into his ear before Andy led the doctor to their door.

As Andy and Dr. Woods made it out into the hallway, Patrick leaned further into Pete’s chest, “You okay?”

Pete didn’t answer, just wiggled them around until they were laying on their sides, limbs tangled and hot breath on each other’s faces.

Patrick could smell the guilt coming off Pete in waves, he knew why it was there, but he didn’t know how to make it go away.

 

 

Out in the hall Andy asked, “Alright, so Patrick?”

“Right,” Dr. Woods sighed, “Sometimes, when a heat has been suppressed for great lengths of time, they get out of sync, the body tries to reset when it gets to a healthy state. Patrick did that. 

But sometimes the cycle is irregular for a while. It won’t be consistent until his instincts catch up to his body.”

“But he’s alright?”

“There’s no danger to him. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be problematic. Because his cycle is irregular, he could go into heat at any time. It will most likely continue to be intense. You said Pete could smell the heat coming before, it was probably because it was the first one. The next might be detectable but it might also come as a surprise. His scent glands are still very swollen, so this cycle is far from over.”

“What can we do?”

“Be patient. I’m sorry there’s no immediate fix, but his health is perfect otherwise. All that needs to be done now is to keep him safe and cared for until his cycle is completed.”

“We can do that. How long before everything is as it should be?”

“Hard to say. Could take days or months. Pete being in rut will help, they’ve imprinted on each other, which means their cycles will naturally try to sync up. Pete’s rut is dominant so his will lead the way, and it might trigger Patrick’s heat, making things go faster.”

“What about the suppressants Patrick was going to get?”

“If he isn’t in heat again in the next three days, he can still get them. If he is, then the date of his exam will just need pushed back until three days pass after a full cycle ends.”

“Alright, what do we do until his heat comes back?”

“Keep a good distance. The more one on one time he has with Pete, the higher the chances are that his body will go back into heat.”

 

Andy had gone back into his friend’s room, staying in the doorway, to tell them what the doctor had said. 

Patrick tried to pay attention, but Pete had gone back into his alpha headspace again and was nosing and licking wherever he could in an attempt to get rid of the doctors scent.

 

A few hours had passed, and Patrick had resorted to stripping down to his underwear and sweatpants. Not because he was hot, but because if he was going to go back into heat, he didn’t want to ruin his clothes.

Pete’s rut had picked up, he had resorted to grinding on Patrick’s leg while they made out.

If Pete were more aware of himself, he would feel like he was back in high school, spending his ruts with Andy.

Patrick was a bit shy at first but feeling Pete’s hard on pressed into his hip turned him on too. He started grinding back, getting lost in the euphoric feeling of getting off again.

Pete did not forget the deal he made in exchange for eating his breakfast.

He spent over twenty minutes licking and nibbling at Patrick’s hole, something that had the omega writhing and trying to push closer to his boyfriend’s face.

Pete didn’t seem to mind, just licked deeper and dug his fingers into Patrick’s thighs.

At this point he couldn’t fathom why he wasn’t doing this all morning.

It felt great and it was a great distraction for not just him but Pete too.

 

He wasn’t too keen on going into heat again, but he wished he had talked to Pete more about mating.

Logically he knew sex might trigger a memory or flash back and he could have a panic attack, but he also couldn’t help but think what mating with Pete would give him.

A loving mate bonded together for eternity.

Sure, someday he knows he’ll have that. But waiting for someday is like watching clouds drift across the sky, slow, steady and no sure destination or stopping point in the navigation. Who knows when he’ll get there?

Is it his heat putting these things in his mind, or is he actually thinking of them himself?

If he told Pete now, would the alpha mate with him or would the rational part of his brain stop him and pull him from whatever headspace his rut put him into?

He wouldn’t do that to Pete though, the alpha would feel guilty if he gave in because before Patrick’s heat started, they had a conversation, multiple conversations, and each time Patrick said he wasn’t ready for full on sex.

They probably should’ve had a conversation about Pete’s rut.

But they weren’t expecting it.

Patrick really didn’t know much about an alpha’s rut.

What was he supposed to do?

He figured out very quickly that making Pete eat and drink was important, but there had to be more to it.

Joe had told him about scenting, thankfully, and for the past twelve hours that was his go to move, until Pete started grinding on him.

 

If rut is to alphas what heat is to omegas, then Patrick was probably in over his head, he barely knew how to take care of a heat.

Not that he remembered much about those either, but biology was never his favorite subject anyway.


	86. 1990

Time skip(s)…

Two days had passed, much to Patrick’s discomfort he had started feeling the effects of his heat again.

It was slow at first, but after Pete’s rut had gotten stronger his body started to react too.

He wasn’t sure how this was going to work with neither of them thinking clearly, but he trusted his boyfriend, and that was all he could think about at the moment.

 

Andy had been delivering food as usual, but he kept his distance as the doctor had instructed, only communicating enough to let one of them know it was a mealtime.

 

The next afternoon Patrick’s heat was back in full swing, though Pete’s mind and body were still in rut, his instincts seemed to have taken control and resorted to being protective rather than give into the want to mate.

It wasn’t as intense as last time, Patrick wished it was though, at least then he was too out of it to remember, now he was too aware.

 

This time five days of discomfort and biological urges had hit him, and it was much more like his first heat when he was thirteen.

Despite still being in rut, Pete hadn’t crossed any lines that they had laid out before all of this started.

They had used the toys, Pete continued to suck him off or eat him out, something that Patrick still felt guilty about not being able to reciprocate but Pete seemed to get off on doing it.

Anytime Patrick begged for touch or release, Pete had delivered.

 

He could vaguely smell the room around them, it reeked of sex and hormones, but he didn’t occur to him to mind.

It smelled like them.

 

At the end of the fifth day, Pete had started to drift back into his regular consciousness.

Looking around and smirking at the person next to him.

Patrick was panting in his sleep, despite the room still smelling like heat and rut he could tell that the omega’s heat would end soon just like his rut did.

For the time being he tried to recall everything that had happened, it was strange, Pete doesn’t remember ever having a rut that intense.

He supposes it was because he spent it with an omega this time.

 

Not that he wasn’t interested, but he never bothered to look for an omega to satiate his rut before.

Sure, there were places for that, illegal and awful places that alphas without their own omega could go and pay to spend their rut with an omega who didn’t have a choice.

No. Pete would never do that.

There were also matchmakers who could pair up single alphas and omegas to spend their heat and ruts together, but that was dangerous for obvious reasons, and accidentally mating someone or catching some disease was not anything he wanted to have to worry about.

Instead Pete had just always spent his ruts with another alpha.

When he was a teenager, it was Andy. Then after Joe came along, he let Andy and Pete both scent him.

It wasn’t until he went with Andy and Joe to visit Gerard in New York and he went into rut early that he met Mikey.

Then after getting a lecture from Gerard about no mating with his little brother they were allowed to spend their rut together. Despite their age difference at the time being barely 16 and 22 it worked out. They never had sex in the traditional sense, but it was enough to satisfy both of them and make their ruts more tolerable.

 

 

Flashback…

 

May 30th, 1990 

11:37pm

 

Pete was staying at Andy’s house tonight; it was the eve of his best friend’s thirteenth birthday after all. 

At midnight Andy would be presenting.

Usually the days of presenting were meant to be spent alone, but Andy had asked Pete to stay over for the next couple weeks. 

 

Pete would be presenting in a few days too, and instead of letting him spend his heat in a house where he was punished for almost everything, he decided to make sure his friend would be safe and cared for.

It wasn’t easy to convince Pete’s parents to let him out of the house, but after Andy explained to his mother about how they treated Pete’s nightmares and how he was worried about what presenting alone would do to him, she relented and talked to the Wentzs’ on their behalf.

 

They were laying on Andy’s bed, staring at the ceiling as they waited for the stroke of midnight.

“What status do you think I’ll be?”

“Alpha.” Pete answered easily. He couldn’t imagine Andy being anything else.

“I don’t think I’m strong enough or…or controlling enough…”

“Not all alphas are like that.”

“All the ones we know are.”

“Then you’ll just be one of a kind.”

“What about you?”

“I don’t think I’ll be an alpha. Alphas are supposed to be good at leading and calm and in control of themselves and their strength. I can’t even control my own mind, how am I supposed to lead anybody else?”

“I think you underestimate yourself.”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Pete?”

“Hmm?”

“If I am an alpha…I think I’ll start my own pack. And nobody that joins it will be allowed to be mean to anybody else. And…and nobody will be punished like what your parents do to you. And omegas won’t be hurt…or…or killed. They’ll be family, just like everyone else.”

Pete smiled sadly, “I wish every pack was like that…. I wish my parent’s pack was like that…then I wouldn’t be afraid to go home.”

“If I do present as an alpha, will…will you join my pack? No matter what you present as?”

“I’d love to. But…if I present as an omega…I’ll probably be killed before you’re old enough to start one of your own.”

Andy turned on his side and threw an arm over Pete’s chest, “Don’t talk like that.”

“But it’s true. My parent’s pack alpha would have me killed; he doesn’t allow omegas to join. Even if I’m not an omega, if I can’t figure out how to control my nightmares soon, I’m pretty sure the disciplinarian or his punishments will kill me anyway.”

“I wish I could do something about that.”

“You already do more for me than anybody else ever even tried to do.”

 

It was silent for a moment, both friends comfortable with leaving that conversation as it was for now.

They had something else to focus on for the time being.

11:56pm

 

Pete glanced at the clock on the nightstand, “Feel anything yet?”

“I don’t think so. But what am I supposed to feel?”

“Well, either a rut or a heat or I guess if you’re a beta just your scent will change.”

“Do I smell different?” Andy asked throwing his head backwards.

Pete leaned close to his friend and sniffed deeply a few times, “Nope. You still smell like you.”

 

11:58pm

“I’m scared.”

“I’m right here.” Pete held Andy’s hand and squeezed, “We’re gonna be alright.”

 

12:00am

Andy groaned, he could feel something, what it was he couldn’t be sure.

His abdomen was tight, and he felt slightly embarrassed to have gotten a boner so closer to Pete’s side but his head also felt fuzzy, like an adrenaline rush but instead of feeling awake and alert he felt like he had taken a handful of Nyquil and mixed it with an energy drink.

“P-Pete…what…mmm…what’s happening?”

“Well, you smell like an alpha.”

It was true, the fresh pheromones were coming off of Andy in strong waves that had Pete slightly intimidated.

“How do’ya feel?” Pete asked, almost kicking himself when he saw the pained look on his friend’s face.

“I-it… hurts…”

“Can I do anything?” Pete asked worriedly, he hated seeing his friend in pain.

Andy shrugged; he had no idea what he was supposed to do now.

 

When the new alpha let out another pained groan, Pete reached out and brushed his friend’s hair out of his eyes.

The touch was enough for Andy to notice a fraction of relief coming over him.

“Do that again.” His voice was gruff sounding, definitely the developing tone of an alpha thrum.

“This?” Pete mimicked his action again but slowed it down some to see his friend’s reaction.

Andy pressed his head up into Pete’s hand, letting out a small sigh of relief when Pete started raking his fingers through his hair.

“Is this helping?”

“Mmmhmmm…touch…it takes pain…away…” Andy panted.

Pete perked up at this, finally he knew how to help, he shifted closer until their fronts were almost completely touching and wrapped his arms around Andy’s middle.

The alpha responded immediately, arching into the touch and burying his face into his friend’s neck, hiking one leg up to tangle with Pete’s.

After a few moments, Andy wasn’t really cohesive anymore, he was scenting and nipping at Pete the way mates would and grinding against his leg and hip in a way that Pete, despite his lack of romantic interest in his friend found himself getting hard from the friction and began grinding back.

 

They continued like that for four days, then it was Pete’s turn to present.

He was scared, more than he thought Andy had been, but it was hard to tell.

When midnight hit, Pete was confused at first, he didn’t think anything had changed, but then he felt Andy tighten his arms around him.

“Looks like we both underestimated ourselves.” 

“What?”

“You’re an alpha too.” Andy sniffed at his neck again.

Pete shifted slightly to accommodate his friend when it hit him.

He gasped in shock at the feeling, it wasn’t painful like it seemed it was for Andy when his hit, but right now they were all tangled up together, skin on skin from face to heel. 

No wonder Pete hadn’t felt anything at first.

He did feel when his boner pressed against Andy’s leg, a wave of embarrassment flooded him until Andy noticed and said, “Get used to it. Until we both find mates were gonna be spending our ruts together.”

Pete smiled, and for the first time since finding out about presenting he wasn’t scared, because he wouldn’t ever have to do this alone.

 

End flashback…

 

 

Time skip…

Another two days and Patrick’s heat was finally coming to an end.

Pete was back to his self, as he became more aware, he started tidying up and cleaning a bit while Patrick was asleep.

The alpha had never been known for being a particularly clean person, but having a mate made him want to be better.

He knew Patrick liked things to be clean, so he tried to make an effort, at least in their room.

The last thing he needed was for the room to be such a wreck that Patrick would want to try and clean everything right after his heat.

He managed to pile all of their cups and empty water bottles by the door, he washed the dildos and plugs in the bathroom.

When Patrick’s heat was actually breaking, he carried him into the shower and they both washed a week of heat and rut off.

The familiar feeling of his heat breaking brought back some memories of his first heat that he wasn’t quite ready for.

At thirteen his heat had ended but he had still been too weak and drained to do much for himself, a vulnerability that he really didn’t like feeling.

The flashbacks came when he was standing in the shower with Pete.

He remembers showering six or seven times after that first heat over six years ago.

The sick feeling just didn’t seem to leave.

But now, showering with Pete, he felt the alpha washing him thoroughly and gently, much gentler than he himself had been at thirteen.

His body might’ve been done with heat, but his mind was still trapped.

He half expected a knock on the bathroom door from his mother asking him how he was feeling.

As Pete rubbed shampoo into his hair all he could think about was using an entire bottle of his brother’s soap in the hopes of covering up the scent of ‘omega’ so his father wouldn’t scowl and growl every time he looked in his direction.

As he felt Pete run the soapy cloth down his chest, he was reminded of how he scrubbed and scrubbed at his skin in a futile attempt to get the sticky feeling of ‘heat’ off of him. 

He hated it. Hated the way he smelled, the way his skin was still flushed and overly soft from presenting. ‘Omegas are supposed to be gentle and soft to touch’, as his pamphlet read.

Pete’s steady and supportive grip on his arms to keep him from falling was a great contrast to the feeling of the men who took him dragging him out of his childhood home.

By the time Pete got to his legs all he could think about was the first cold shower he took after being raped in that basement....

He didn’t know why he was thinking about these things, he’d had an amazing week, or as amazing as heat can be, with Pete. The alpha had taken care of him perfectly and kept him safe and never pushed or crossed any lines.

The lack of understanding he figured was a result of his still clouded mind, his hormones were out of whack, yeah, that had to be it…

He didn’t notice when Pete lifted him out of the shower, too busy drowning in flashbacks of his thirteen-year-old self to pay attention to where he is now.

 

He wasn’t pulled from his derailing thoughts until he felt clothes covering him.

He was sitting on the counter, a pair of Pete’s sweatpants hung loosely on his hips, the alpha was currently in the process of gently tugging one of his own t-shirts over the omega’s head.

The shirt smelled freshly of Pete; the alpha must’ve scented it before he dressed Patrick.

Pete seemed to notice when Patrick’s attention came back to the present because he made eye contact and gently tapped his jaw with his finger, “You wanna brush your teeth or do you want me to do it?”

Patrick was quiet for a long moment, staring non-blinkingly back at Pete.

It’s such a simple gesture, asking Patrick what he wanted, but right now, after all the flashbacks he’d been having the past fifteen minutes, it was everything.

“Thank you.”

Pete furrowed his eyebrows, “You don’t need to thank me…Soooo….is that a yes?...Or…”

Patrick smiled, taking the toothbrush from him, “I can do it. I meant thanks for asking me.”

“Oh…” Pete still felt confused, but Patrick wasn’t quite himself yet, so he decided to get the omega comfortable and more aware before asking any questions.

Pete remade their bed, something that had Patrick sighing in relief as he pulled the covers over his shoulder and snuggled himself in like a burrito.

Pete cuddled him until his breathing evened out, then he resumed his cleaning quest.

 

By the next day Patrick felt more like his regular self.

He still hadn’t left their room though; he wasn’t quite ready to see everyone yet.

His flashbacks from yesterday had turned into a couple of nightmares last night.

 

But these were different than they had been.

These were worse.

Because in there, nightmares it wasn’t just him that the monster was hurting.

No, in these nightmares the monster was after Pete instead.


	87. Nightmares and Boyfriends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been gone for so long, things got very busy the last few weeks. I saw Twenty One Pilots (it was absolutely amazing and perfect). Then I had to get my appendix taken out. (Not nearly as fun as the concert). Anyway, I was recovering from that and I spent all my extra time working on school and I didn't want to half-ass this story so I waited until I had time to actually sit down and write a couple chapters.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and continuing to read this (much longer than anticipated) story. Next chapter coming soon. (Much sooner than this one did.) 😊

Time skip…

 

Two days had passed since Patrick’s heat officially ended.

He still hadn’t left his room for more than an hour or so at a time though, not that he wasn’t thrilled to get a change of view, but he wasn’t exactly itching to be around everyone just yet.

He still wanted to mate with Pete.

Being out of his heat-controlled mind, he found that he still wanted that at least. But he was afraid to ask for it because he felt guilty about his nightmares.

I mean, keeping Pete up all night, with nightmares about him…then he wants to mate with him because he loves him, but also because he knows his mind will relax more if he’s mated…

 

So far nobody knew except Joe. The other omega would come upstairs and talk with him for hours, but Patrick could never make himself go into more detail.

He always told Patrick he needed to tell Pete, but that was easier said than done.

He still felt awkward, his nightmares hadn’t stopped, Pete was still getting hurt in them. He always woke up right before the monster finally got the alpha, shaking while Pete murmured ‘you’re safe’ and kissing his face.

When they were about him getting hurt it was easier to handle.

Patrick relived his trauma enough that it didn’t phase him as much anymore, but his trauma was mixing up with his life now and it was worse.

The last thing he wanted to see was Pete being hurt.

He hadn’t actually told Pete what his nightmares were about yet.

He figured the alpha assumed it was a reaction to his heat.

Anytime Patrick felt like Pete was getting ready to ask he would change the subject or try to distract him in some way.

But Patrick is running out of subjects to bring up, and he knew Pete could probably see through it every time, even if he hasn’t said anything yet.

He went back and forth in his mind over the pros and cons of whether he should bring it up or not.

Patrick had been on edge the last couple days because of it.

He wanted to tell Pete, he even tried to today.

But this morning their “conversation” only lasted about thirty seconds before he backed out.

“Pete, ya know how I’ve uh…been having the uh…the nightmares?”

“…Yeah…”

“Well uh…the reason…uh…”

“Trick—”

“Sorry…never mind.”

“Patrick wait—"

The omega didn’t hear him, having already retreated to their room.

Pete wanted to follow and send a string of questions at his boyfriend, but he didn’t want to wait too long, he hated seeing Patrick so lost.

 

The next day Pete decided he’d waited long enough to ask. 

They had to go see Dr. Woods today anyway. It was the third day since his last heat, today he needed to get his last exam before he could get suppressants.

“Trick?”

“Hmm?”

“I think we should talk about your nightmares…”

Patrick tensed, “I’d rather not.”

“Patrick, I’m…I’m not going to force you to talk about them. I just think it might help you work through them if you could get ‘em out of your head. Bottling up anything is never good. If not me then maybe Joe? Or Bren or Gee? It might help ya figure out why they’re worse.”

Patrick still wasn’t too keen on the idea of talking about his nightmares out loud.

“No. I just…I know why they’re bothering me. But…giving them verbal words makes them feel more real.”

“I know. Believe me. I know what nightmares are like. But it can also make them weaker.”

Patrick wondered what he meant by that, but the calculated look on Pete’s face told him that whatever demons were in his boyfriend’s head had a permanent residence.

If he is gonna tell Pete, now is the time…maybe.

“I just…normally, the ones that I’m used to having are just…they’re bad memories, flashbacks to my past. But the last couple days they’re…they’re different.”

“In what way?”

Deep breath, “I just, when it was just me getting hurt, I could handle it.”

“And it isn’t you anymore?”

“No. It’s… my…the guy that bought me and…and tortured me…in my dreams he…instead of hurting me…he hurts you…tries to kill you…and…” Patrick was starting to cry now, sniffling as Pete pulled him against his chest.

“Sh, sh, sh, Trick, I’m safe. We’re safe.” Pete murmured like a record on a loop. He finally understood what had Patrick so distraught, he would feel the same if it were his nightmares going after the omega.

“Trick, I know, that what I’m about to say won’t make it go away completely for you, but it might help.”

Pete waited for Patrick’s breathing to steady a beat before continuing, “Remember when we walked out of that basement?”

Patrick flinched, pushing his nose into Pete’s chest.

Patrick nodded, he remembered that very clearly, “He was laying upstairs…dead.” 

“He can’t hurt either of us, or anyone else anymore.”

“Were you in the house when he died?”

“Yeah. When during the police raid, he tried to stab one of the officers and I watched him get shot. Once he was dead, the officers searched the rest of the rooms and…well that’s when we found you.”

“I’m happy you watched him die.”

“Me too.”

“I’m also happy that you were the one they sent down to get me.”

Pete smiled, “Me too.”

 

A few minutes passed as Patrick calculated how to ask his next question.

He didn’t even know if Pete would know the answer.

He didn’t actually want to know either, but he had to know.

 

“Do you know his name?”

Now it was Pete’s turn to tense.

“…Why?”

“He owned me. He…did things that I’ll never be able to forget or undo. But he never knew my name. If I know his…it’s like I finally have something over him that he never had and can’t get back or take away.”

Pete smiled gently, this was the first time since their conversation started that Patrick was confident and sure about his words.

“You sure about this?”

“Yes.”

Pete cleared his throat, “Damon Morter.”

Patrick stared back at him a moment, unsure of how to feel. He was relieved to finally know, having a name to match the face and pain he received for so long. 

But now what does he do?

“Trick?”

“Thank you for telling me.”

“You okay?”

“I think so.”

Pete watched his boyfriend carefully; it was like he wasn’t entirely awake.

Logically he figured the omega would need time to process whatever was happening inside his head, but he wasn’t sure if he should keep talking and asking questions or stay quiet.

A long silence fell over them before Patrick finally spoke up, “Did…is everyone else that was there…they’re dead or in prison, right?”

Pete nodded.

“For good?”

“For good.”

Patrick nodded slowly.

 

“Can we stay up here a little longer?”

He thought for sure that Patrick would be sick of being cooped up for so long, but he didn’t say anything. He nodded, only slightly concerned, they had been up here for well over a week. 

“We can stay as long as you want. But ya know Dr. Woods said three days after your heat ends, we can go get the exam for suppressants. That’s today.”

Patrick didn’t respond.

“I think your appointment is at 4. I can see if he has a later time for us?”

Patrick shrugged.

Truthfully, he knew Pete was worried about him right now, he could feel it and smell the waves of concern flowing off of his boyfriend.

 

A lot had happened this morning, he learned some things that made his nightmares seem less…important? The monster had a name, now he seemed less scary, less powerful.

A new energy found its way into Patrick’s mind, he thought back to how he felt just a few days ago.

He had wanted to mate with Pete; and thinking about it now he realized it wasn’t just his heat that made him want it.

With his nightmares, or rather the man in his nightmares no longer holding any power, he felt a certain restriction being lifted off of him.

He wanted to try, but he also knew that he doesn’t really have any control over his PTSD. A panic attack could happen out of nowhere.

Joe had told him a long time ago that prior to when he mated with Andy, they had sex in a more regular sense, rather than waiting for his heat to experiment and get more comfortable.

They would have to wait until after his next heat, not just to mate, but to go on suppressants.

After everything that happened with this heat, he was sure it’s what he wanted.

He feels ready, but how does he tell Pete.

Talking about this stuff was embarrassing, at least in his mind.

 

Pete had been waiting patiently while the omega was quiet, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts or disrupt whatever internal processing he was doing.

Patrick was staring in a sort of trance as he traced over Pete’s tattoos with his fingertips.

“Trick?”

No answer.

“Trick?”

“Huh?” Patrick startled out of his thoughts.

“You sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Can I help with whatever you’re wresting with in there?” Pete asked, tapping his boyfriend’s forehead.

Patrick blushed and ducked his head, hiding his face in Pete’s chest as he pulled a blanket over him.

Pete chuckled lightly, confused as he began grabbing the blanket and pulling it up farther, so it went over his own head.

“Peeete.” Patrick mumbled; his face hot as he refused to look up from the alpha’s Metallica shirt.

“I can tell something else is still bothering you.”

Patrick nodded.

“Can I help?”

Another shrug.

“Anything you want me to do?”

It was such an innocent question; yet applying it to what he wanted Pete to do made him blush even more.

When he didn’t answer Pete nosed at the top of his head, the sensation making the omega’s ears twitch and send a tickle down his spin.

Gripping at Pete’s shirt, he let out a subconscious whine when he felt his ears go red.

“Trick, I told you before, I’ll do anything you ask.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you embarrassed?”

Patrick groaned, his voice came out totally slurred and muffled, “HmCuzidontliketalkboutsex.”

A jumble of hums was all Pete heard. “You wha-wha-what?” Pete asked in a teasing tone.

Sighing, “I don’t like talking about sex.” Patrick said softly.

“I know. But you know I’d never judge you.”

“I know. It’s not you that makes me embarrassed. Sex is just…I don’t know…and I’m just a—"

“An innocent little bunny.” Pete interrupted.

“Shut up.” Patrick smacked his boyfriend’s thigh.

The alpha just laughed in response.

“Peetee.”

“Alright, but sweetheart, after everything that we’ve done, and I mean, we have talked about it before.”

“Yeah but this is different.”

“How?”

Now or never Patrick thought, sighing as he took a deep breath, “I want you to mate, with me.”

If Patrick were less nervous, he wouldn’t have added the ‘with me’ to his request.

Pete just smiled gently, “We can talk about that.”

Patrick still didn’t look up, he actually slid further down under the sheet, resting his face on Pete’s stomach.

“Joe said that he and Andy had regular sex before they mated.”

“Yeah. It takes away a lot of the fear and hesitation if we’re more comfortable with each other.”

“How do you get comfortable the first time though?”

“When you’re ready you’ll know. And even if you think you’re ready and then change your mind, we can stop. At any point.”

“I want to.”

“Don’t try to convince yourself that you are, it’ll come naturally.”

“I want to try. I’m just scared.”

“You were scared of the toys before. Remember? We can go slow. Build up to it.”

“Does this mean you’ll cancel my appointment with Dr. Woods?”

“If you want. Or we could get your suppressants today and you could just not take them until after your next heat. Or if you change your mind you would at least have them.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You don’t have to; I can cancel if you want. It was just a suggestion.”

“Is Dr. Woods examining me, or that lady from before?”

“The lady. She’s Dr. Woods colleague. She was nice before.”

“I guess.”

“I promise I won’t let anybody hurt you.”

“I know you won’t. The first exam was really invasive and awkward though.”

“This one won’t be. Just normal testing and then they just get a blood sample to match your heat the right suppressant.”

Patrick was quiet again.

“Sooo…”

Patrick sighed, “Alright, we’ll go today. You’re not allowed to leave me alone though.”

“Never.” Pete drew a cross over his heart and saluted.


End file.
